“Four Pups Plus Mom” by Susan Wollison

Gemma {Note: Click on photos for enlargement}

Brian loved dogs. He had a dog lunchbox, a dog backpack, and a lucky dog t-shirt.

What he didn’t have was an actual dog.

Until one day….

He stumbled upon four pups and their mom, hungry and cold in the lot down the street.

This is perfect! thought Brian. We have lots of food, blankets, and a big backyard.  I’ll just bring them home with me.  

Brian carried the four pups home. The mom – Gemma – walked along beside them. She was really glad to have someone to help with these pups!

Brian gave them each a bath in the guest tub, fed them the roast beef in the fridge for that night’s dinner, and made them beds out of his mom's finest pillows and blankets. 

But when Brian’s mother and then his father arrived home from work they were not as pleased.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Brian asked, showing them off one by one. “I’m calling this one Marcus and this one PawPaw.  This is Bruno and this is one is Auggie. The mom’s name is Gemma. We’re perfect for each other!”

His parents disagreed.

“Five dogs!!” they gasped. “Too many, too messy, too expensive, and where will we put them?”

Brian was crestfallen. 

“But I’ll take care of them, I promise.  You won’t even know they’re here.”

But they did know.

PawPaw wanted to be a lapdog, but he was not lapdog size. He jumped on anyone and everyone he could – often not at the best time. His attempts to show his love were often not appreciated.  

Auggie who had endless energy constantly wanted to play.  He liked to get an early start and often woke everyone at the crack of dawn.

And Marcus enjoyed being silly and hiding things.  Like dad’s good work shoes, moms’ purse, and Brian's homework. 

The last straw was when Bruno “accidentally” ate the plate of steaks that had just been barbequed for Dad’s work party.  Of all of the puppies, Bruno had always been the best behaved. 

“I’m sorry son,” said Brian's dad, “but we just can’t keep them.  We’re going to have to come up with another plan.”

Brian couldn’t imagine parting with any of them. He’d have to come up with something quick.

Too messy?  Brian set about training and designating each pup to keep things tidy.  Gemma, their mom, oversaw making sure each pup did his assigned chores.

Too expensive?  Brian looked to each pup’s strengths and found them all jobs so they could help with expenses.  Bruno quickly picked up work as a cover model.  Paw Paw set up his own business as an emotional support pup. And Auggie took a job at the local daycare where he was responsible for tiring out the children.  Marcus joined the forensics team at the local police department and cracked a big case they had been working on.  

As for where to put them, Brian cleaned his room for the first time ever and set them up on and under his bunkbed … until he could finish the dog condo he was building in the once empty lot where he’d found them all.

Brian loved dogs. And now he had five. When the condo was finished, he figured he could house fifty.

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Note: This story is fiction, but Gemma and her pups are real. Gemma was found starving and searching for food in a dump and led her rescuers back to where she’d dug a den for herself and her eight pups under an abandoned home. 

At this point Gemma is up to 50 pounds, within a few pounds of her proper weight, and four of her pups have been adopted. But Gemma and her remaining four pups are still looking for their forever homes.

Gemma is a young husky mix. Mix of what? Probably German Shepherd. How young? Under two years is our guess. She loves playing chase and wrestling with her pups, but when not going crazy with her boys, she’s the calmest dog I’ve ever met, gentle and loving. A total sweetheart.

Gemma’s adoption info here.

Auggie is small for a husky mix, though at three months old, he’s about 25 pounds. Auggie always has a grin on his face. He’s super bright and super attentive. He was the first to learn his name and the only one to ever figure a way to get out of their backyard pen

Auggie’s baby picture and adoption info here.

PawPaw is a big baby. At three months he weighs 27 pounds, and loves nothing more than having his belly rubbed. He has the softest, silkiest fur of any puppy ever, plus the biggest, softest-looking eyes and the cutest face, so he gets almost as many pats as he’d like.

PawPaw’s adoption info here.

Bruno has inherited his mom’s temperament. He’s extraordinarily calm (well, as calm as a puppy can be). He’s gentle, almost delicate, and he has movie star good looks. He’s not just cute, he’s beautiful. Bruno is going to be a big boy. At three months, he weighs 32 pounds, and he’s tall, with a long body and long legs – he has a couple inches even on PawPaw.

How big will Bruno get? Bigger than his 50-pound mom for sure. But male huskies typically top out at not much more than 60 pounds. Bruno does have other breed(s) in him, though, and shepherds can be bigger. I’m going to make a wild guess at 80+ pounds.  

Bruno’s adoption info here.

Marcus is everything a puppy should be: cute and playful, loving and sweet, always up for pats or playing. He looks to have had a different dad from his siblings – some smaller black dog with woolly fur. His brothers are all out-growing him, even Auggie who started as the runt of the litter. In temperament, he’s most like Auggie – really bright, but with maybe a bit less energy.  

Marcus’s baby picture and adoption info here.

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Susan Wollison is employed in healthcare.  She lives in Beamsville with her husband and identical twin daughters. When she isn't writing or doing the mom thing, she enjoys exploring and finding unusual sights all over Ontario.

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