Dutchess Elise Coleman is a 10-year-old Red Heeler, and Riley Michelle Coleman is an 8-year-old Siberian Husky. The pair lives on Prescott Ridge with their parents, Sharmaine Coleman and Schenita Caldwell. They both are females and their favorite place to hang out is in the backyard or wherever Mommy is! Dutchess came from a rescue in Flora when she was five weeks old and Riley came from a friend when she was five weeks old. 

Sharmaine shared with Stroll Lake Caroline...

"Dutchess and Riley have always been raised around other animals. The two are like little children when other animals come to visit! We once had a visitor, a Boxer mix, for three weeks before she and her dad moved to Paris with the Military. I was a bit skeptical at first because I did not know how my girls would take to her, she fit right in! On the first day, I observed Riley dropping some of her toys in front of her and Dutchess leading her to their water and food bowls to eat and drink. Everywhere Dutchess and Riley went, our guest went! I have seen them display this type of behavior with a rabbit that we kept for a couple of days, a guinea pig, and other animals at the daycare when we were living in Houston.  

 

Dutchess, my Red Heeler, has always been a nurturer. Riley arrived when Dutchess was about a year old. Once the puppy came into the house, Dutchess went into full mama mode! If Riley cried, Dutchess was there. I laugh when I tell people that Dutchess raised Riley and is her mama! Last summer, a friend of mine rescued an extremely ill Cane Corso. When he brought her here, she was so weak that she could not move. Dutchess immediately jumped into action. She hovered over her, we put a water bowl beside her and watched Dutchess use her nose to scoot the bowl closer to her. She licked some of her wounds and laid down beside her to protect her while she was at our house. The Cane Corso was rescued from bad breeders who left her to starve when they could not use her anymore. Dutchess was reassuring her that she would be protected moving forward. I have observed Dutchess display this with humans, puppies, and all animals her entire ten years of living.  

 

Riley is our entertainer. She 'talks!' Like most Huskies, Riley is extremely vocal. Every morning, she lets out a deep howl, which we have all labeled as our “Good Morning, Mama!" At nine years old, she is not much of a dancer, but she used to love to hop around to one of our favorite oldies. Our neighbors, Brian and Allie Jennings are now their Godparents, and Riley visits their fence every day for treats and rubs. She loves attention.  

 

These two have grown so much and never cease to amaze me each day. One fun fact about Dutchess is that she was rescued from a rescue mission in 2013, we moved to Texas in 2017, and a month after we moved back to Madison in 2020, we met Dutchess's birth mom at Hollywood Feed. The cashier working could not stop admiring Dutchess, and when she got my contact information for the Loyalty program, she knew right then that Dutchess was her dog’s puppy. The reunion was so sweet and emotional. 

Riley and Dutchess simply cannot be without each other!"

Thank you, Sharmaine, for sharing your girls' stories with our readers. They are adorable!