UPDATE: Well time sure flies. We had this blog post drafted two years ago (!!) and never hit publish. Seems fitting that we’ve now had our boat dog, Stella, with us for exactly two years to let the world know the story of how she joined our crew.
Who brings a litter of puppies to a party?
Remember that party we mentioned thrown by the Baja HaHa cruisers rally in Bahia Santa Maria? Well, there’s more to that story. Further inland, a man traveling through Mexico had gotten wind of this party from a friend. This man had recently found a litter of puppies living under a bush and had the idea to bring them to this gathering of sailors on the Baja Peninsula in the hopes of rehoming the ones he could. Two busses, three panga boat rides, and a long bumpy drive in an SUV down the beach and he arrived. Not the most typical approach to one would take with rehoming a litter of puppies, but we can appreciate this guy’s resourcefulness. He couldn’t take the puppies himself as he was returning to the States, and odds of finding them new homes through a Mexican shelter were slim since they’re already overrun with street dogs.
We played with the puppies at first (I mean who wouldn’t?) but had no intention of adopting one. At face value, it didn’t seem like a good idea. But then we started to think it over a little, and the idea of having a dog onboard had come up while living aboard in Seattle, however we decided against it for several reasons. But damn, these pups were cute. When Cory kept holding this one female puppy for a whole hour, we knew the hook was set. The deal was simple: no papers, no idea how old she was, what breed, or how big she’ll get, and no cost. We walked away from that party carrying our new puppy back to the dinghy and brought her aboard Constellation to settle in her new home. We’re dog owners!
She passed out right away on the floorboards, no doubt from the taxing day. It was now dark outside, and we sat down looking at our new crewmember. First order of business was to puppy proof the boat and come up with a name. Welcome aboard, Stella! No, we didn’t have any chew toys, pee pads, or dog food besides the scoop we were able to take from the man. The next morning, we set sail for Cabo San Lucas for dog supplies and trip to the vet. And Stella had her first overnight passage.
The vet was crucial since we were told she had her first vaccine and was dewormed, but we didn’t have any papers. So, we got her checked out and her next vaccine. Given our upcoming travel, we needed to get her started right away because Costa Rica has strict travel requirements for pets. When we asked the vet if they knew her breed, we were told “100% Mexican street dog.” Sounds about right! Stella rarely sees the same vet twice, with visits in Cabo, Manzanillo, La Cruz, and La Manzanilla to get her through the vaccine series and rabies shots. With these visits we get to see a different part of the towns that we wouldn’t normally and practice our Spanish at the vet!
Having a puppy onboard has been a treat. She adds a new dynamic to the cruising lifestyle and is a great companion during night watches. We love taking her with us ashore and on hikes (although we still have to carry her sometimes). It’s easy for now lifting her up the companionway and out of the dinghy, but she’s quickly becoming a heavy pup. It didn’t take long for Stella to become the center point for our photos. Hopefully she doesn’t get too big!