Naming & Placing Dottie's Pups Page 2 of 4

Two of Dottie's Pirate pups went to live with Cathy and Tom Karem. We met them on August 30th with Rennie (left) and Betsi (right) at the Philadelphia Airport. They all flew back to Kentucky.

Dottie's second born puppy Reunion of Alika Cotons, aka "Rennie," is an adorable standard Black & White. She loves to lift her paw and wave at people, and greatly appreciates a tummy rub.

Rennie's puppy name is derived from the island where the Coton de Tulear traces its immediate roots. Reunion, some 400 miles East of Madagascar as the sea birds might fly, is where the original "Coton de Reunion" was developed. That breed, now extinct, was probably brought to the Southwest coast slave trading port of Saint Augustin's Bay, near modern Tulear, by pirates who trafficked between the islands in the 17th Century.

Reunion itself was a grand pirate island during this time period. Pirates made the "Pirate Round" from the northern Colonies, England, Wales and to a lesser extent, France, They raided the Indian Ocean, robbing Arabs, Indian merchants and English and Dutch traders. Reunion during the time of the Pirate Round--for thirty years beginning about 1690--was better known as the "Isle de Bourbon."

Cathy and Tom have changed Rennie's official Coton de Tulear Club of America name to "Sassie Karem of Alika Cotons."

Dottie's sixth born puppy Betsimisaraka of Alika Cotons, aka "Betsi," is an extremely sweet standard Tri-color Coton de Tulear.

Betsi's puppy name comes from the Malagasy tribal group that provided the pirate kingdom of Ranter's Bay, near modern Tulear, with its work force and native brides. Although I performed most of my fieldwork in the south of the island, I knew some Betsimisaraka people during my two year expedition. One was a tremendously impressive man over 6 feet 4 inches tall with a heart even larger.

Cathy and Tom have changed Betsi's official Coton de Tulear Club of America name to "Lillie Karem of Alika Cotons."

Simultaneous with meeting Tom and Cathy Karem at the Philadelphia Airport, we also brought Tavy to meet his new, forever family from Chicago, Ross, Suzie and son Todd Glickman (below):

Cute as a button, "Tavy" as we call him, takes his name from the East Coast sea port of Tamatave. In the days when Madagascar was the world's preeminent pirate hideout, Captain John Plantain established a literal pirate kingdom in the rain forests that surrounded Ranter's Bay--later the Bay of Antogil near modern Tamatave in 1721. Tavy celebrates those long gone, swashbuckling days. Incidentally, a modern map of Madagascar will display the port city of Tamatave as "Toamasina."

The Glickmans now call Tavy by his new, Official CTCA registered name of "Simon of Alika Cotons."

We had a great time visiting with the Glickmans, the Karems and of course our beloved three Dottie puppies.