Written by Ludré Swift Horak
Professional photography by Boland Weddings
Foster mum Ludré shares…
My husband and I went to walk some dogs at the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS) one Saturday morning. Just as we were leaving, I saw a little ball of fluff out of the corner of my eye. Naturally, I had to go and investigate…
In the cage there was a beautiful mommy dog (I thought she could possibly be a Cairn Terrier) and two puppies. One puppy looked fat and healthy, while the other one looked a bit skinny and as if it could possibly be the offspring of a werewolf or bat. When I went into the cage, the mommy dog continued to play with her bigger pup while the other one crawled into my lap and just snuggled there. The only option I had at that moment was to ask if I could help by fostering this little one until it was a bit stronger. After the formalities were done, I was able to take her home.
With wholesome foods, a lot of cuddles and some rooibos tea, Esti (now named Tilly) grew stronger by the day. She immediately found a soft spot in my heart. She asked to play with my older dogs so nicely that even they couldn’t resist her charms. As she grew older, she just stole hearts left, right and centre.
Tilly went on a tour to a wine farm where she met chickens, and instead of chasing them, she lay down to watch how they pecked around. She met a cat at the local vet shop and play-bowed in front of him to ask him to play. Her charms had no end. She was very food driven, which made her easy to train, and she almost immediately figured out how to weave and jump through hoops and walk nicely on a lead.
Her charming personality and unique features were what motivated me to do a MuttMix test on her to determine what her DNA says. I also hoped that telling potential adopters that she’s part of a specific breed would be better than just saying “mixed breed”.
Tilly’s MuttMix Results:
Level 2 Bichon Frise
Level 3 Scottish Terrier
Level 4 Miniature Pinscher
When I found out Esti/Tilly’s mix, I thought the Bischon Frise perfectly summed up her gentle, cheerful and playful behaviour and perhaps also why she was so easily trainable and a “natural” at agility obstacles.
I didn’t notice much of the terrier-like behaviour (hunting, chasing and digging) while in foster care, but her scruffy facial features (in contradiction to the rest of her coat that was quite soft) reminded me of a Scottish terrier. Perhaps her mother already had some Scotty in her as she had a coat similar to what I thought at that point was a Cairn Terrier.
With regards to the Miniature Pinscher in her lineage, I think that comes through in her brownish colour. I guess her grandfather or great-grandfather was a “travelling man”. The MuttMix DNA test does help, because identifying the breeds enables you to better understand the dog’s strong points as well as what areas you need to work on right from the start. By identifying the breeds, it can guide you in their training, exercise, and health requirements, etc.
If there was one foster puppy that I really wished I could keep, it was Esti, but we already had four dogs. When she had to go for her second set of vaccinations, everyone at the welfare saw what a beautiful girl she’d turned into, and their social media post about her led to a multitude of potential adopters vying for her attention.
Two days later, they informed me that she’d found the perfect forever home with a family that had previously adopted from them.
It’s a bittersweet ending for me, but a happy new beginning for Esti!
Maronell Flemix, Tilly’s new owner, shares…
Nearly three years ago, we adopted Sofie from AWSS, and since then, she’s been the queen of our hearts. In the past, we had pure-bred fur kids, but I’d decided a while ago that, if the opportunity presented itself again, I wanted to adopt a mixed-breed rescue. This mainly stemmed from the fact that I volunteer at a few animal rescue centres doing home inspections and I saw the need for rescues to find their forever homes. So, after we adopted Sofie, I wanted to adopt every single mixed-breed puppy I saw on social media as I truly believe that rescues are very special in the way they love. My husband kept saying “no” when I showed him the pictures of the pups, as we have a Jack Russell, Coco, as well.
Then, one morning I logged onto Facebook and saw the cutest, scruffiest face looking back at me. As per usual, I sent the photo of Esti (now Tilly) to my hubby, not thinking that he’d respond. And immediately, he replied that I should go and fetch her! I was in total shock and didn’t act on it at first. For him, it was love at first sight, and he started sending the pic of Tilly to all his friends and family to inform them that we were getting a new pup. I then contacted AWSS to enquire whether Tilly was available. They sent me an adoption form and the rest is history.
We love Tilly to bits, and she’s found a special place in our hearts. She’s playful, very sociable, has her own will, adores food, and loves water. She also loves walking around in the shower! My son and Tilly have a special connection and she follows him everywhere he goes (I must admit, it could also be because he keeps on feeding her!). She’s fit right into our family, and she’s so adored. I’ve also fostered pups before, so I totally get the bittersweet ending that her foster mom referred to. I’ll be forever grateful to Tilly’s foster mom – I’m just glad that this time around Tilly is ours to keep!
