A Rottweiler makes the news in Nova Scotia

from this morning's Herald
Rottweiler makes purrfect mother Family dog nurses litter of abandoned kittens
By GLEN PARKERMon. Jul 13 - 4:46 AM
Jasmine, a 10-month-old Rottweiler, snuggles up with one of her adopted kittens. (GLEN PARKER)
BRAMBER — Am I a cog or am I a dat?
If five-week-old kittens are capable of putting thoughts together in their little minds, that may be what three of them are thinking today in Bramber, Hants County.
They have been blissfully nursing from Jasmine, a 10-month-old Rottweiler.
Ashley Hood, a real estate agent, found the three abandoned kittens in a barn while she was showing an empty house in the area. When she brought them home, her Rottweiler took over the role of mother.
"The day after Ashley brought them home, Jasmine was on the kitchen floor with all the kittens snuggled around her," said her husband Shawn. "The kittens tried to nurse, but it was a couple of days before she started nursing them."
"The vet told us it is very, very unusual that Jasmine is making milk for the kittens," Mrs. Hood said.
The two females have found a new home nearby and the male will stay with the couple and their two sons, Brayden, 4, and Austin, 2.
The new owner of the two female kittens has called to report the kittens have quickly taken to their own family dog.
"Jasmine doesn’t seem to miss the other two kittens at all," said Mrs. Hood.
"We decided to keep the male. He kind of grew on us."
Not surprisingly, many have become smitten about this story of lost kittens.
Besides the interest from the local media, the story of Jasmine and the nursing kittens found its way into newscasts in the United States.
"There are a couple of Internet blogs about her — one as far away as St. Louis," Mrs. Hood said.
Is she likely to bring home any more abandoned kittens?
"No. In this case, I kind of had to. I couldn’t leave them there. But I’m actually allergic to cats."
So who will blame these three little kittens if they have an identity crisis?
Someday, they might even have their own little kuppies. Or would they be dittens?
( gparker@herald.ca)
So the next time someone tries to tell you what big bad dogs Rottweilers are, pull this story out of your hat. In truth, Rottis are loyal and affectionate companions who , when properly nurtured, are guardians ... not guard dogs. Years ago, when McG first came here, he instantly became best friend with my buddy's Rotti. Being McG, he never understood that they weren't the same size and the two of them had a lot of fun together over the years.
What time is it? It is always time to remember that it is never, ever the breed. Not ever.
There's facts about dogs, and there's opinions about them. The dogs have the facts, and the humans have the opinions. - J. Allen Boone