September at Tumaini Tails
Nineteen puppies in under a week. Forgive the late update: we've been busy with bottles, and cotton wool soaked in wee and poop. Here's how it all went, along with the rest of our month.
It's a long read, so we're hoping to swing a twice-monthly update from here on, to keep each one shorter and fresher.
THE PUPPIES
Nine Tiny Fighters, Out of Nowhere
On Saturday 19th September, nine newborns, barely a day old, were left out in the cold in Karanjee. Their mum was kept behind by whoever did this. We don't know who, and we don't know what became of her. This stretch of Karanjee has sadly become a place where newborn litters get dumped, and once these pups are old enough, we plan to go in and do something about it.
By late afternoon we were in a scramble: calls to supermarkets, companies and bodas, hunting for puppy milk formula, teats, bottles, goat milk, eggs and honey. It all came through in time, and so did the pups, carried in by a young farm worker who had kept them warm and fed them that morning with milk from a stopper. They were starving and badly constipated.
Then came the routine: a feed every two hours, round the clock. Blurry eyes, cracked egg yolks, honey dripping down the side of the blender, and a kitchen that has seen better days. Every feed ended with cotton wool soaked with warm water and a gentle rub to get things moving, and each round took a solid two and a half hours. On day three, Sheila, Annick and Luise jumped in, and Sheila moved into our home to cover the nights. Luise and her mum also sent their staff member Grace, and we're deeply grateful.
More recently, Aarti and her hands-on girls, Kushi and Syna, and housekeeper Anne, have been coming regularly, after school and on weekends, to feed the pups and give them cuddles.
As we write, all nine are now close to 3 weeks old and on 3-hourly feeds, with a 4-hour stretch overnight that has given us our first proper sleep. And now the little personalities are showing up. There's one noisy, squirmy pup we simply can't name: Dudu or Kilele, and it's proving a tough call. Then there are Bear and Bandit, who refuse to ever be full. They grab every bottle they can get their paws on, and when none is in reach, they'll happily suckle on a brother's undercarriage instead. Boundaries are not yet a thing.
And Then Another Whammy
Four days later, before we'd even caught our breath, came call number two: ten more puppies, around three weeks old, orphaned in Tigoni after their mum was killed by a speeding car.
With parvo a real worry, we sent Sheila and Silas, our driver, to check for sickness and talk to the owner, who couldn't care for them and agreed to surrender them. They found hungry, soaked, shivering pups with little food or shelter, caked in poop and fleas. After strict quarantine and an all clear, in they came.
Dewormed, bathed and round-bellied, they now only make a peep when a meal runs late. Six feeds a day, like clockwork.
Nineteen puppies was a lot, even for us, and together they get through 16 to 18 litres of goat milk a day. Our dear friend Caitlin looked at the math and took three of them home so the rest of us could finally breathe.
And the kindness poured in. Our appeal for formula and supplies raised KSh 58,500. Nifty's and Annick's pub quiz added KSh 30,000, and Celia of Plants Galore and Kalika gave another KSh 30,000. That's KSh 118,500 for these babies.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to Caitlin, Annick, Sheila, Luise and her mum, Grace, Nifty's, Celia of Plants Galore, Kalika, Anne, Aarti, Kushi, Syna, and everyone who showed up for them. And our Tumaini Tails staff, Silas, Daniel, Justus and Kadenge, for absorbing the extra work.
MORE FROM THE DOGS
Two girls, home again
Mama Maya, our lovely old gal, and young Gigi, who came to us in August, went back to their Ruaka turfs in early September after a week-plus with us recovering from their spay surgeries. There were tears in the car, as there always are.
Mama Maya shot out to find out who had dared move into her patch while she was away. Gigi took a moment, a few uncertain sniffs, and then it clicked: she was home. Off she bounded to show her mama (also spayed, and doing beautifully) her very first teddy toy.
Both girls left us vaccinated, dewormed, and free of ticks and fleas. Minaxi, Ruaka's tireless dog lady, who first brought them to our attention, will keep feeding them daily and watching over them.
Go and be queens of your corners again, girls. We'll miss you.
Pinnacle: The Escape Artist Who Finally Stayed
Our tiny, curious explorer and wanderer, and the only dog we know who treats a 7ft wall as a minor suggestion.
Adopted last year into a loving home, Pinnacle climbed and jumped her way out of it again and again. Her family kept getting calls to say she was out and about, and understandably, it all became too stressful. So we took her back.
She gave us a few disappearing acts of her own at first. Then it sank in. She was back in the first place she ever called home, our home, and, wide-eyed with disbelief, she found she was even allowed a spot on the couch. She has claimed it and shows no sign of giving it up. Yeah! We're weighing up whether she'd do best in a home with properly escape-proof fencing (think fortress) or staying on as part of our resident pack.
Quick updates
Big Boy: A suspected poisoning in Ridgeways gave us a proper fright. Big Boy is one of six dogs living in a safe place there that we support with food, preventative meds and vet care, alongside our friend, the kind-hearted vet nurse Hanne. Dr Mohsin rushed in and got straight to work, and Big Boy pulled through. He's recovered and back with his pack, and back to his favourite routine. On delivery day he trots up to the car with a big grin, knowing full well a treat is coming. He takes it gently, then pauses for a split second to look you in the eye, as if to say thank you.
Doggo: First rescued by Minaxi and adopted by a kind gentleman at the foothills of Mt Longonot. Over time she decided she could not tolerate one of the resident male dogs, and sadly had to leave. We feared the worst: a snarling, spitting little dog in our sanctuary of 56 other dogs. Instead, out stepped this gorgeous, graceful girl, sweet and demure, and a wonderful cuddle bug. She has had no squabbles with a single dog. We're keeping everything crossed, and not saying another word in case we jinx it.
Harvey: Our last rescue of September, taking us to 57 rescue dogs. A kind lady in Tigoni found him caught in her fence, skinny and clearly someone's dog, hoping for a bit of love and a decent meal. When a week passed and no one came for him, we took him in and had him neutered. He was floored by three warm, hearty meals a day and as many cuddles as he could take, and he's filling out nicely. He seems to wear a permanent smile, with a tail that hasn't stopped wagging since he arrived. For a dog who hasn't had the easiest start, Harvey sure knows how to give love, and he gets plenty back. Welcome home, Harvey.
THE CATS
Maddie, the Spayed Queen of Drama
Maddie went home to Naishola Gardens on 5th September, but not before a three-day standoff. Waking from anaesthesia disoriented and unimpressed, she disappeared into the underside of the sofa bed, shredding the fabric and foam to build a fortress so deep we lost sight of her.
Food, water, a litter tray: we tore open more of the sofa just to slide them in, service with no visible customer. We coaxed. We waited. We coaxed some more. On day three, to prove we weren't monsters, we dismantled the woodwork and extracted one extremely offended cat.
And then Maddie climbed straight into a lap, curled up, and purred as if nothing had happened. She ate a hearty meal and marched off to the cat tree for a nap. From feral furniture demolition expert to lap cat in about ten minutes, and we still don't know what changed her mind.
Old Bob
Nobody invited him. He just showed up, curled up deep in our bathroom towel cupboard, mid-snooze, like he'd signed a lease we never saw.
Old Bob is a walking history book, scars and scabs from nose to tail, the record of a long, hard life on the streets, yet he's the sweetest soul around. Our resident cats gave him a grudging welcome (no spitting, no drama, just a lot of "fine, you can stay"), and Bob took it and carried on.
Then came neuter day, and two days of avoiding the litter tray, a concept Old Bob found utterly baffling. "What on earth is that?" So: floor. Repeatedly. We were, frankly, thrilled it happened in the bathroom and not on the good couch. He's since forgiven us, upgraded to the warm bed (which has to be in his towel cupboard, naturally), and now drops by whenever the mood strikes, for a snack, a meal, or a snooze.
He didn't ask to be family. He just decided he already was.
Tabitha: Our Favourite Kind of Foster Fail
Some of you will remember Tabitha from our August update: rescued as a pregnant stray, spayed, and given a second chance. We placed her with a foster family, fully expecting to find her a permanent home down the line. Turns out we didn't need to.
She was just easy: affectionate, undemanding, no fuss. Her foster family fell for her completely, and that was that.
DOG WALKING VOLUNTEER: Ron
Since September, Ron has been coming a couple of times a week to walk our dogs, along with Timothy or Patrick of TopTails Pet Services, who guide him through the many beautiful tea field walks. The moment they arrive, chaos breaks out. There is squealing, barking and whining, and every dog is convinced they should be first through the gate. Waiting their turn is a skill none of them has mastered!
The lucky dogs come home happy and calm.
Thank you, Ron, for your time and kindness, and thank you, Timothy and Patrick, for sharing the best of those paths with him.
DONATIONS
Food has been one of our biggest needs this month, and PetStore answered with over 90kg. We are so grateful to have you behind us.
A heartfelt thank you, too, to everyone who sent crates, beds, bandages, pee pads and old toys, and milk for the puppies. Every item has found a use. The toys are the stars: each one is played with zealously, or claimed by a select few who bury it out of sight for later. We are, as ever, out of toys, so if you have any going spare, do send them over.
If you'd like to help, you can donate at www.tumainitails.org/donate.
REMEMBERING HUMAN
A quieter story, to close the month.
This one is about a dog named Human. We're sharing it not because it's easy, but because he deserves to be remembered.
We first came to the small village of Kawaida to rescue Gramps off the streets. Whilst there, a resident asked if we could look at another dog, one who had been suffering quietly for some time with a growth on his hip that had grown large, extending down into his leg. We found him curled up alone on a patch of grass, barely able to walk, in obvious pain. The villagers had been feeding him what scraps they could. They called him Human.
He let us near him without hesitation. Trusting and utterly unafraid, he allowed us to lift him into the car and bring him back to the sanctuary. The diagnosis was hard to hear: a deep, invasive growth had already spread from muscle into bone, and surgery was no longer possible.
So we gave him what we could instead: a warm bed, warm meals, and as much comfort as his one night with us could hold. The next day, we sat with him in the sun, and when the time came, we let him go gently and without pain.
Human didn't have long with us, but for the short time he did, he was loved. We won't be sharing photos of him. Some moments feel too tender to share, but we wanted you to know his name.
Thank you for being part of our September.