Sadie and her 11 pups were rescued and brought to The Safe House in Eastern Kentucky in April 2021 where they stayed for a month or so before making the journey to Minnesota. Because the pups were still weaning, the entire crew had to stay together. Staying true to my personality, I committed to take all 12 pups with nearly no foster experience and ride the wave of learning. Caring for this wonderfully crazy family was the most rewarding experience I've ever had, for several reasons; one being the little runt, Sansa's furrever story.
There's question over their actual DOB; some of their medical records say 4/06/21 and others say 4/17/21. Because this year, the 17th is Easter Sunday, perhaps we celebrate their first birthday on Saturday April 9th (weather permitting). Back-up date can be the following Saturday maybe. RSVP to me: fvokovan@gmail.com or (612) 743-9222; exact (Minneapolis) location TBD.
THE PUPS, THEN AND NOW.........
SADIE, Mama
Sadie lives with Sully, a lab/hound mix, and has a huge, open yard. She has an area to dig & burrow and plenty of squirrels to ambush. She's also got her gorgeous, svelte figure back!
Her Human says: Sadie is extremely playful. She has a lot of puppy left in her. Besides playing and cuddling, her next favorite activity is basking in the sunshine. She will sit outside for hours in the sun. The Minnesota winter was not an issue for her and she loves running in snow.
JUNE (Sahara)
(Sahara) & (Sheba) were the peacekeepers of the group. They settled disputes and negotiated the boys' male energy. I may have been reading too much into it, but a few times they appeared to advise the group to just do what Sansa wants. "She's crazy; best to let her win.."
(Sprout)
Sproutsie was so regal and stoic. He hung with the peacekeepers.
WINSTON (Selzer)
His Human Says: Winston is a happy, super energetic and playful boy! He has added so much to our lives and has settled in. He went to puppy training and loves doggy daycare. He is definitely a handful since he has a ton of energy. He's a chewer too; we will have to buy a new couch! Haha. He's eaten a lot: several dog beds, earphones, sunglasses, shoes, blinds, our kitchen table - HA! But he is SO worth it. He is the most lovable and snuggly guy ever! He is - slowly but surely - learning what is his and not his. All part of being a puppy. He has a brother, Denzel and kitty sister, Susan - who he is very curious about but she wants nothing to do with him yet. We love him so much! He is now about 40-45 lbs and has the longest, skinniest legs. He is so fast and jumps like a kangaroo.
WINNIE (Sam)
The pic below describes her baby personality EXACTLY. Sammy was adorably demanding, assertive, and the most comical sassy-pants, second only to Sansa, the runt, whom everyone obeyed (while I laughed hysterically)!
STEVIE (Sheba)
(Sheba) & (Sahara) were the peacekeepers of the group. They settled disputes and negotiated the boys' male energy. I may have been reading too much into it, but a few times they appeared to advise the group to just do what Sansa wants. "She's crazy; best to let her win.."
(Shadow)
Shadow fit his name exactly; he went everywhere I went. He wasn't afraid of saws, lawnmower sounds, drills, etc.. He just wanted to be close. He wanted to be my helper. Such a sweet boy.
(Smokey)
Awww, that rascal! He & Sammy were besties. The tomboy in Sam mixed with Smokey's curiosity of the opposite gender was so fun to watch.
(Snuffles)
Snuffles, Sterling, Sylvie, and Selzer all "rumbled" together. Most of the time they'd play so hard they'd fall asleep mid-bite. I have a video somewhere of one of them sleepily giving up literally mid-bite. I have another video of two of them playing with each other AND ACTUALLY COMMUNICATING TO ONE ANOTHER while sleeping next to each other. They were really something, those goofballs..
STERLING
His Human Says: Sterling G is a wonderful cuddler who enjoys adventures up north, trips to grandma and grandpa’s house, likes to talk and alerts me of any intruders whether they are people who don’t belong outside the house or bugs crawling inside the house. Sterling always lays directly on his brother even though he’s bigger than Elliot now! (What is personal space anyway?) Sterling is around 45 pounds and is slowly becoming more speckled like his mama and less white.
OLIVE (Sylvie)
Her Human Says: I bet Olive is definitely the menace of the group, she into everything and everyone! But she is the sweetest girl who loves to cuddle up close with her humans. She also gets along great with her older brother, Bronson, who is also a Safe Hands Alum. They are they best of friends even though she has outgrown him now! Olive is tall, skinny and 50 pounds of pure love <3 There is never a full moment when she is around. We also did the Wisdom Panel DNA testing and came up with the exact same results as Sterling's!
SADIE (Sansa)
Sansa first lived with retired woman who ended up not being able to care for a boxer-mix after breaking her leg, so I took her back for a few months. It ended up being a permanent change. I later brought her back for a visit one day and both were happy to see each other. While fostering another litter, I came across a family that I just knew would be perfect for sweet Sansa and it ended up being a million times better than I could've ever hoped for. And how ironic that her furrever family named her Sadie! She and her bestie, Scottie, do everything together and are so in love.