Introducing the Dogsters: Allison and Jelly, Lorraina & Manic, Her Mixed Breed Dogs From Thailand

Hi! My name is Allison Dorsey, and I am a proud dog mom of three: Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic. All of them are mixed breeds, so I often like to think about what kind of mix they are based on physical features and personality. Note: None of the mixes are scientifically accurate or even possible; it is just a fun game I play in my head. Jelly might be a blend of a small Thai Rhodesian Ridgeback and an elderly white-tailed doe. Lorraina could be a mix between a Jack Russell Terrier and a mongoose. Manic, well, he could be a German Shepherd-ewok-Ragdoll cat hybrid.

They are all different, but they're all perfect in my eyes.

The Trio’s Origin Story

1. Jelly

All the dogs were born on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand. Jelly was born around September 2010. Her exact birthday is unknown. She, along with her four other siblings, was found alone in the jungle. They had either been dumped there, or their mother might have died or abandoned them. Jelly’s story is not uncommon, unfortunately. They're brought to the local animal clinic, where I adopted her in November. I carried her home in the front pouch of my backpack. She barely fit as she was quite rolly-polly. Her name came from the delightful squishiness of her paw pads.

2. Lorraina

In early 2012, Lorraina walked directly into my house, eyes sparkling and tail wagging. Jelly was stunned but interested in this bold little stranger. Someone in the neighborhood had found her as an older puppy wandering the streets on the southern tip of the island and brought her home. Lorraina would come over to the house daily. Over time, her owners tended to her less and less. So, our single-dog household became a two-dog home. We kept the name her owners had given her, and to this day, anytime you even whisper her name, her tail wags uncontrollably.

3. Manic

Manic showed up in the neighborhood in mid-2019. He was only a puppy, but he barked fiercely at me when we first met. I squatted down and called to him. He let down his guard, scooched up to me on his belly, and let me pet him. The following week, he showed up at my door. And he kept showing up day after day. Jelly loved him. Lorraina despised him. Eventually, Lorraina learned how to use Manic to her advantage. Lorraina would like to cause trouble, and with Manic by her side, she was able to cause twice as much because he acted like a frontline soldier, charging headfirst into whatever seemed fun, naughty, and dangerous. Hence, we dubbed him “Manic”.

Moving to the Other Side of the World

After the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided that my life in Thailand needed to come to an end, and my dogs needed to come with me. However, the pandemic created some strict regulations on bringing in dogs from other countries. They needed their blood drawn and sent to a CDC center in Germany to be cleared, rabies certificates, photos of their teeth, and a formal letter requesting that my dogs return to the US with me. Plus, they needed to get booked on a flight.

But the application was the easy part. To get home, first, we took an overnight ferry to the mainland, then a 7-hour trip in a van to Bangkok. They stayed at a transfer center for three days. Then, off to the airport for two flights, a total of over 20 hours in the air. Lastly, a 2.5-hour drive to their new home in Maryland. Thankfully, their first day in the USA was in the low 60s, so it was not a total shock for dogs who spent their entire lives in a country where 80 degrees was the norm.

Of course, the next day, it snowed. Yet, they did not seem to mind this strange white world they had been flung into.

Welcome to America, my dear ones.