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November 3, 2009

Litter of 22 puppies makes for full house; now 10 need homes

By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Nov 03, 2009, 11:37 PM EST

Marc and Amy Travis are surrounded by puppies.

Well, they were. Around two months ago, their two chocolate Labradors, Lady and Josie, had two large litters of puppies only around a week and a half apart — resulting in a whopping 22 pups for the couple to care for.

Now, only 10 remain, but those pups aren’t easily forgettable.

“It’s been a challenge keeping all of them fed,” said Marc about the huge task that comes with caring for so many young puppies.

Caring for just one litter of puppies the right way can take up a massive amount of time and money. Vet visits, food, cleaning supplies and more can add up when a normal Labrador litter — anywhere from 8 to 12 puppies — is born.

But 22? What an experience.

The adventure began for Marc and Amy when they decided they wanted to raise a litter of puppies after going around a year without the small masses of fur running around the couple’s property in Eubank.

“We were ready for another litter,” Marc said. “We were excited about another litter.”

Lady and Josie, both AKC registered chocolate Labradors, were healthy, but Marc and Amy knew it may be a bit difficult for Lady to take. The female has champion bloodlines, but having pups had been difficult in the past.

So Marc and Amy thought they’d see if Lady could have a litter first.

The couple’s third dog, a male named Harley, would be brought in.

“it didn’t seem to take,” Marc said simply, about why they decided to see whether Josie could have pups with Harley.

She could, and apparently, so could Lady.

“The second Labrador (Josie) got pregnant, we noticed she started growing, and then we noticed (Lady) started growing too,” Marc said.

What would result would be weeks and weeks of some of the hardest work Marc and Amy would have to endure. Lady gave birth to 10 puppies, and Josie had 14. Each dog lost one pup soon after birth, leaving 22 healthy newborn puppies.

“We struggled with one litter,” Amy said. “But with two ... ,”

The pups had inside and outside runs, but the sheer number of pups — separated into the two litters — made it necessary that the kennels be cleaned at least twice a day, every day.

“They’re like our kids,” Marc said about the puppies and their parents. “Breeding is a ball, but it’s a lot of work.”

But that work doesn’t come without fun. Marc said he spends lots of time with the puppies, allowing them to crowd him and climb on him nearly every night during cleaning and feeding.

And now, with Lady’s litter at seven weeks and Josie’s at nearly nine weeks, they’ve become louder, bigger and rowdier.

“Now they’re just fun,” Marc said. The pups have developed an ability to identify with a human’s voice, and they’ve learned to respond to calls. Those skills take some time to develop. The puppies have been transitioned to hard food and separated completely from their mothers, which means they’re definitely ready to find their forever homes.

“So far, so good,” Marc said about the first pups to find new homes.

And those that remain are in good hands, but Marc and Amy know they’ll have to part with the pups soon. The puppies several weeks ago developed their own unique personalities, but one has become a favorite for Amy — a male puppy from Josie’s litter named Mini-Me. The runt began vocalizing his feelings to his caretakers quickly — and you’ll know if he’s unhappy.

“They’ll all let you know what’s up,” Marc said about the puppies.

But soon, Mini-Me, his remaining siblings and Lady’s remaining pups will be placed in their homes, and the Travis homestead will become quiet once more.

“This has been a learning experience,” Marc said. “We’ve learned our lesson.”

At least, it will stay quiet until they’re ready to tackle more puppies. But that’ll be awhile, especially after Marc and Amy’s experience keeping up with 22 puppies.

“We’ll never do two litters again,” Marc said.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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