A new family member

Ever since we lost Lucy last Christmas, Mum and Dad have been searching for a new puppy to keep them company. They had grown very attached to Lucy (as had I, even if from a great distance), and there was something missing from their lives without her around.

They went back to Lucy's breeders, Gamester Staffords, and asked if they could buy a little girl pup from the next litter to be born. As luck would have it there was a litter on its way, due February 7. February 7 came and went and Mum and Dad had heard nothing. So yesterday, Mum called them up to make sure the new pups were well and that there was a little girl for them (when she was old enough to leave her mummy, obviously). Mum was given some very sad news, that the mother of the puppies had died during the birthing, and there were only two live puppies from the litter. The puppies needed a lot of care since they had no mother, and the breeders had decided not to sell them. So we were out of luck. But on the bright side, the lovely folks at Gamester promised to try and find us a puppy from some other local breeders, because they knew that Mum and Dad were offering a loving home, and they had been very impressed by the webpage I had set up for Lucy with photos and stories.

Sure enough, today Mum found a reputable breeder out in Mudgee NSW, about a 3 hour drive northwest of Sydney. They have a 12 week old little girl Stafford puppy who is ready to go to her new home now. Mum and Dad are driving out there next week to make sure she is healthy and waggy, and then they will bring her home. How exciting!!!

And the best news is that since my sister is getting married in May, I will be flying back to Australia, while the new puppy is still a puppy. Seriously, I can't wait! I am literally bursting with excitement.

I am led to believe that she will be named Molly. She was bred from a red father and a black mother, and so she has a lovely dark red colouring with a dark muzzle and tail. She looks quite different from Lucy who was more of a fawn red and had a lot of white markings. I am very excited to see how her personality compares to Lucy's. Lucy was a beautiful pup, with lots of energy and was always very happy to be part of the family. I think Molly will also be very happy and I can't wait to play with her in May.

Here are some photos that were taken by the breeder about 4 weeks ago: