Chula - Alaqua Animal Refuge

Alaqua is addicting. There is so much to help out with and it's nice to be contributing to the community. This is my first time ever doing so much community service with one particular place. And, to be honest, I have probably spent more time volunteering with Alaqua than I have with any other place throughout my life all combined! I have just never really done much volunteering. At least I am now though! So many different things they have going on and so many different ways one can volunteer. I feel as though I have done a little of everything almost yet I know I haven't! Chula is my new "thing" :) I am now also a foster parent! Please do not be confused by the picture... this is Chula. I promise :)



Chula is Chancho's sister. And by sister I mean litter-mate, not half sister, or look alike. They are positively 100% brother and sister! We found Chancho on craigslist. He was free and had two sisters with him. We went out there to find a odd situation. I didn't really like any of them a ton, but I felt obligated to save at least one. I considered for a moment taking all of them, but thought better of it. They all freaked out when something fell over and made a loud noise. One puppy in particular (Chula) never recovered. She was yelping the entire time we were there (about 30 minutes) hiding under a truck. We couldn't get her to come out and I knew she would be lucky if someone took her. Who would want a whiney/yappy dog like that? I know it seems heartless, but we are Barkers... we don't want barkers. Needless to say I was not one bit surprised when I saw her picture posted on FB and she was in fact, out at Walton County Shelter. I immediately knew it was Chancho's sis cause she looks just like him and is the same age. I figured I would call the next day to save her, but then realized that we can't spend the money to adopt her and spay her etc. I emailed Laurie Hood (founder of Alaqua) and asked her to pick her up as an Alaqua dog and I would foster her until adoption since I know they don't have any space at Alaqua. Less than one week later she's here!



Below, Chancho is on the left and Chula is on the right. Definitely siblings. At Alaqua when they get a litter of pups they name them all starting with the same letter for organization. So I figured I would pick a C name and keep it Spanish too :) They have not been reunited yet as we need to have a quarantine period to be sure no one gets each other sick. Chula is very sweet though. Skiddish, but coming around quickly.



These two boys can't wait to meet her. When I put her in her crate and let them out of the front room they RUN out the door to the yard thinking she might still be out there and perhaps they could all be friends. I trick em' every time! And Chancho... mister pig who wouldn't leave his food behind for anything? I locked the boys in the front and gave them breakfast and went to the back to take Chula into the yard and there he was... staring through the sliding glass door hoping to get a glimpse of his sis as she passed through the hall :) I put her outside and immediately went to rescue Chancho's food from Shugo's mouth. I had to lock Chancho in his crate so he would focus on his eating and Shugo wouldn't steal it! Ridiculous... Soon though they will be reunited and it will be sweet :)