I spent the weekend with friends up in Cape Canaveral and had a wonderful time splashing in the crashing waves of the ocean and swimming in the pool.  What a great way to relax and have fun.

On the drive home, a friend from work called.  The local animal shelter had seized 43 dogs (two ready to deliver litters), including 17 puppies from a backyard breeder who did not have anywhere near the proper facilities to care for so many dogs.

Before this event, the shelter agreed to take in another litter of stray pups.

The sudden influx of so many dogs taxed this shelter's resources.  They desperately needed people to provide foster care for the puppies for a couple of days.  I thought about it and decided that I could take on a couple of pups for a short period.  I have a large, collapsible wire crate for Nat and Pyxi to use when we travel and figured the little ones could live in it.

So . . . today at lunch time, I picked up a young, brother and sister who are part chocolate lab and part beagle. 

This is Cocoa.  She has more white on her chest and paws.

Her brother, Nestle, is just as cute.

They're somewhere between six and eight weeks old, we think.  I don't see much of the beagle in them, but perhaps that will come out as they grow older.  I might not ever know because I'm not keeping them permanently. 

I know my limits.  Nat and Pyxi are more than enough to complete our little family. 

I wasn't sure how my two, now 14 months old, would react to these tiny visitors.  At first, they were noticeably apprehensive.  They approached the crate as if it might contain a ticking bomb instead of two yipping pups.

I brought out the pups and some chasing around ensued.  It's funny to watch because Nat and Pyxi are fast and grown while Cocoa and Nestle hop-jump like wind-up toys.

Nat isn't quite sure what to make of them.  He approaches cautiously to sniff them from time to time.

Pyxi prefers to keep her distance, unless she suspects one of them might claim a place on my lap or go after her food. 

The five of us played in the yard and the house for awhile before I returned the pups to their crate for a nap.  Nat and Pyxi appeared quite pleased to have me to themselves for some quality time.  Now they're sacked out and napping, too.

I'll wake up Cocoa and Nestle in awhile for a trip outside and some exercise.  I have no idea what will happen overnight when I'm the one trying to rest.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the entire household sleeps.

That could be overly optimistic.

If you live in the Keys, I believe all of the pups, including Cocoa and Nestle, will soon be available for adoption.

If you live anywhere else in the country and love dogs, you might be able to help out your local shelter some day by offering to foster a dog or two when they need some support.