This was our largest Dog rescue to date — and one of the most intense experiences we’ve ever had. Our local shelter, which we love and work with often, reached out in desperation. They were completely overrun and out of space. Like many shelters across the country, they were facing impossible decisions, and this sweet mama and her 14 three-week-old puppies were placed on the PTS (put to sleep) list.

The shelter knew these babies deserved a chance, so they called us — and of course, we said YES. We packed up and drove to pick them up, excited to help. But once we arrived, we realized this wasn’t going to be a typical Dog situation.

The mama was overwhelmed. She was exhausted, food insecure, and not interested in caring for her puppies. When we picked her up, she threw up in the lobby and again in the car twice — both times it was full, undigested food. She had been surviving the best she could, but it was clear she was in full survival mode.

Once home, she continued refusing to nurse, and even became aggressive with the puppies when food was nearby. We tried everything — even gently holding her in place so her babies could feed — but she wouldn’t lie down, and some of the pups were too little to reach her. So, we kicked into action and began 24-hour formula feeding for 14 newborns.

We also made a hard decision to separate mom from her litter to reduce stress on everyone. At first, she was just across the fence, but the puppies cried constantly trying to reach her. So we moved her to one of our large rehabilitation pens with access to food, water, and rest. It worked. She began to calm down, hydrate, and eat normally. Today, she’s doing great — strong, safe, and peaceful.

And her puppies? They’re chubby, happy, and thriving. We still let them visit each other from time to time, but we’re respecting the mama’s boundaries. She did her best — but now it’s our turn to give them all the care they need.

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