Rescue Tail / Puppies! 

Rescue Tail / Puppies!

By Tara McFarland

In June I received a phone call from a Marathon resident asking for help. Her good intentions had caused an unexpected problem. A friend of a friend could no longer keep their small female pit mix and was looking to rehome her before relinquishing her to the shelter. She had a big heart and a love for dogs and opened her home to the new addition. With a dog of her own, she was happy when the two dogs were getting along exceptionally well. The sweet new dog transitioned into her new life with her new family like she had always belonged.

One day she noticed her male dog seemed particularly interested and playful with his new companion. Within a matter of moments the two suddenly became a couple. Unbeknownst to her, the little unaltered female had gone into heat, and her unaltered male dog mated with her. Just two short months later, the mother gave birth to a litter of five healthy puppies.

She had never meant to breed her dogs, and surely did not want seven dogs of her own. That’s when I received the call. “Help! I don’t know what to do. My dog had puppies and I can’t have seven dogs. Can you help me?”

Together we discussed what was best for the newborn puppies. We talked about the importance of staying with mom as long as possible, when they would need their first vaccines and dewormers. We chatted about socialization and of course the dangers of giving away/selling puppies to strangers on the internet. We came up with a plan to keep the babies safe at home with mom, and we agreed not only to place the puppies for adoption when they were ready, but we also offered to get both mom and dad spayed and neutered for free through our “fix a pit” program when they were ready.

Over the next eight weeks the puppies blossomed with mom. They turned into fat, healthy, roly-poly puppies. They received their first check-up, vaccines and deworm at six weeks and started weaning onto solid foods. With new harnesses they slowly started exploring the outdoors, and many friends came over to pet, play and socialize the puppies. Through all of these interactions the puppies had adopters lined up thanks to mom.

Our counselors coached the potential families on the importance of raising a puppy, continued socialization, vaccine schedules, the fear stage, growth, diet and more.  By the end of the eight weeks we had happy, healthy puppies and educated, dedicated adopters.

The puppies have all gone home now, and because their owner reached out, they never spent a night at the shelter. The puppies moved from loving home, to loving furever home. They continue to meet for play dates until the puppies are fully vaccinated and can safely interact with other animals and new places.

Raising a puppy properly takes a lot of work, time, resources and commitment. It’s undeniable that a puppy is adorable, but ensuring they grow into happy, well adjusted and socialized adults is a commitment from the very beginning. It’s also a 12-15 year (or more) commitment to the life of the dog when adopting a puppy. They quickly grow from an irresistible puppy into an adult dog. The love we give our puppy is a love we must give them until they are old and gray.

If you need help, please reach out to one of our Campuses. Our goal is to help keep pets in homes and honor that lifelong connection. We have many programs and services such as free behavior counseling, safe haven housing and low cost and free spay/neuter and wellness. A loved dog is a happy dog. Life happens, accidents happen, but we’re here for you and your beloved furry friend. For help from mile marker 0 – 16.7 contact our Key West Campus at 305-294-4857 and from mile marker 16.7 – 70 call our Marathon Campus at 305-743-4800. We’re here for you.