A couple of weeks ago, a medium sized lab/pitbull mix was brought into the shelter. Her owners just ended their relationship, neither wanted the dog. So there I stood, looking into the salt and pepper face of this sweet little dog who, like many others, became a victim of circumstance. Upon looking her over, as I always do at intake, I noticed her mammary glands where a touch swollen. I inquired whether she had had puppies, and was told no. Further thought made me inquire whether she had contact with an intact male. The owners again denied. Whether they were lying or not about know she was pregnant, I knew she was.
Over the next few weeks I monitored “Diamond” and the afternoon of the 9th of January, she began to show signs that she was in the early stages of labor. I’ve foaled many horses, and birthed my own child, but it was a first with puppies. I was lucky enough to have the help of a family friend with extensive experience in whelping dogs. I packaged up everything I might need, and a couple of blankets and a wadding pool into my car, and Diamond eagerly jumped right in the backseat.
I had to run to my mothers and pick up medication before going home. We didn’t make it 3 miles and the poor dog vomited all over my backseat. Great, she gets carsick… Well, we are just going to both have to deal with it, I pull over, clean out my car and convince her to lay down. A couple more miles, she moves to the floor in the back seat, maybe it makes her less nauseous. I’m at my parents within 10 minutes and I open the door, figuring she can run in the half acre fenced yard for a few minutes… NOPE… She’s laying on the floor of my car, licking a freshly born while puppy, a male, too impatient to wait until we get home.
With the help from my father I manage to get the wadding pool and blankets set up in the back of my SUV and move mom and pup there. No time for chit chat at this point, off we go back to my house.
I’m happy to say she waited until I had her set up in my laundry room to deliver her last 2 puppies, both females. So here lay these 3 innocent little lives, unaware their mother is homeless and so are they. This part of my job is bitter sweet. I opened my home and my heart to this sweet girl and her pups, I know we will find them all homes, but Diamond is a different story, a 5 year old pit/lab mix is harder to place… Fortunately I love her, she may have worked her way into my home for good.
Saddles and Sirens 