A dog named Zoe.

Back in September of 2015, my husband convinced me that it would be a good idea to drive three hours south, to Hartville, MO to get a catahoula pup for our son David. I knew nothing about the breed so before I acquiesced, I did a bit of research. The pup was the most beautiful dog I think I’ve ever seen. White, with caramel brown patches, a light brown nose, and the lightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. She was stunningly beautiful.

Fun fact, we were watching the show, “Hart of Dixie” at the time, and since the dog was from Hartville, David thought it fitting to name the pup Zoe. We brought Zoe home and all of us were very taken with her.

That August, I had not returned to school to teach, but instead was trying my hand at home on the farm. I was renovating a building to create an on-farm retail store, I was feeding chickens and pigs, and milking a very cantankerous cow. Every morning, I’d load the kids and Zoe up in the truck, take them to school, then Zoe and I would set to work. She went with me everywhere. She tried to herd the pigs away from me when I fed. She was on my heels all over the farm. In a time where my school teacher self was going a bit crazy without human interaction, I had Zoe.

Then November. We were packing up vehicles to head south for Thanksgiving weekend and My precious Zoe was hit by a car in our driveway. I cried all the way to Branson. I was devastated. I was devastated about being devastated. Why was I so upset over a silly dog? A dog we only had a couple of months?! I decided I never wanted a dog again.

Yeah right. About a year and a half later I did some more research on the breed. I found out that catahoulas attach themselves to a person and are fiercely protective of that person. Because of the time we spent together, I was Zoe’s person. I started to search for another one. Catahoulas are a bit rare in mid-Missouri. So I searched for months. One evening, I was on a site, ranch world ads, and I found one close! I called the owner and planned to meet her the next day. Which was the day I came home with Mara.

Mara has been everything I’ve ever wanted in a dog. She stays with me everywhere I go!

So we had to get a male. Because maybe other people around here would like to have a dog like this. So now there’s Milo.

On Friday, Mara and Milo became parents of 9 of the most beautiful puppies ever.

Nine catahoula puppies! I hope that the new owners of these catahoula pups love them as much as I do.

New to the catahoula breed? Google it! That’s what I did. You’ll find a wealth of info. A catahoula is not right for everyone! But the dog is a great fit for me and my family.

If you’re interested in one of Mara’s pups, email me at lisa@libertyhill.farm.