Shanti!

After Khaki died last spring we promised the kids we would get a new puppy when we returned to Kathmandu from our summer trip to the States. Here is our latest addition.

Kathmandu is affectionately called Dogmandu. Street dogs are simply EVERYWHERE. Khaki had been a street dog from Nairobi and grew up to be our "international dog of mystery and intrigue" so we really didn't seriously consider not getting another street dog. There's nothing like "pickin' garbage" to fill out a pedigree. There is a rescue center here that goes out every morning rounding up street dogs and gets them spayed/neutered/dewormed etc. and then puts them back out on the street. (Theory being that at least "fixing" them will lower the population somewhat.) This is much more humane than the technique tried a few years back where they just scattered poisoned meat all over the city and then collected the dead dogs. Grrrrr.

Now could we really let them put this adorable pup back out on the cruel doggy streets? Nope. Welcome to the family Shanti! (Kit wants to call her Ella - I said it could be her middle name - bad Mommy)

I gave the camera to Kit. This may be the first picture I've been in for two years! (Except the ONE that is on this blog - even then I set it up and handed the camera to a friend.)

"Swift. Shanti is going to get Bunny."

"Really Swift. She is going to chew up Bunny and then YOU are going to be sad, sad, sad."

Too late.