Mommin' Ain't Easy
Some people, or I don't know, maybe many people, would look at this photo above and think to themselves, 'Awe! Look how sweet! A mama dog and her little babies'. Because who doesn't love a cute little dog family? (Or cat family for that matter). Who doesn't love seeing those cute little pups squirming around? But in reality, this photo represents much more than a mama and her pups. This photo represents a problem...a BIG problem that we have here in Kentucky.
Backstory
Let's go back a few weeks...barely. A sweet girl is posted online. The finder seems very concerned at her condition given that it is obvious that is she is very much pregnant, underweight, and possibly has been dumped in the middle of nowhere to fend for herself. *See photo below*
How anyone could look into those sweet, sad eyes and set them out of the side of the road...I'll never understand. But how do we know that she was just dropped off? I guess technically, we don't know that for a fact. However, she showed up to this house and STAYED there. She didn't try to wander off, she didn't try to chase vehicles, she didn't try to leave...all signs indicate that she was not a simple drifter. In fact, many dogs that are dumped, will stay in the same location in hopes that their owners will come back for them. Now, we don't know why she was dumped. (if that be the case), but we do have some ideas. So let's talk about the girl we now call Violet.
Things we learned about Violet fairly quickly:
- She was very pregnant.
- She was underweight and clearly malnourished. Which is NOT a good condition for a soon to be mama.
- She needed help and she needed it quick!
So, the finder contacts WPEL (after the 5 day holding period where Violet was also posted online and reported in case her owners were looking for her...) and we immediately send out a plea for this sweet girl with one of the very best of the best of rescues in the rescue world. Yes, I know that was a mouth full...but seriously...this rescue is amazing and let me tell you why!
First, Violet, we learned was an older gal. She was well past her puppy years, and sliding into her senior years.
Second, she was extremely pregnant with what we thought were a lot of puppies.
Third, she was malnourished and underweight which meant that she needed a top notch foster to help her through this.
Fourth, she tested positive for lyme disease. (CLICK the link for more info on Lyme Disease : Prevent Lyme in Pets- CDC)
Fifth, she was a black dog. (Learn more about Black Dog Syndrome here. )
SO- let's recap, shall we?
All of the things standing against Violet - the Trifecta
She is a black dog. She is older. She is pregnant.
BUT!! This rescue of all rescues took her anyway! And even more than that, they put her in a mama & me experienced foster home and have spared no expenses for her care.
So....what's the problem?
Violet should NOT be a mama at her age. She should not have to go through what she has been through...perhaps her entire life. Who even knows what her past was like! The problem is that when you, pet owners, don't spay/neuter your animals, this is what can happen. We are so thankful that Violet's story is continuing...that she was able to look forward to a new part of her life where she would receive all of the love and food and care that she needs.
**See her in the photo...looking forward to the future? I may have told her that things were going to be a lot different for her now! **
But sadly, this isn't the case for many dogs like Violet. Often times these dogs end up having babies alone in the middle of nowhere, the babies end up eaten by coyotes, or hit by cars, or end up in shelters where the puppies get adopted and mama is left behind. There are SO many worse case scenario's...scenario's that are actually much more common that Violet's.
Do you love your animals?
I'm sure your answer to that is, YES! If you love your animals then please, do right by them! Get them spayed or neutered so that you don't have to worry about unwanted litters!
Did you know that spaying/neutering has lots of benefits other than just unwanted litters?
Read more here:
I want to spay/neuter my pet but I can't afford it...
This is where we come in! Email us: woofpacked@gmail.com or message our Facebook page and we will help you find an affordable, low cost spay/neuter option near you! You can also get lots of great information and resources from your local animal shelter!
For now, Violet is spending the evening with her 10 new babies. She's tired and exhausted and requires lots and lots of immediate care from her foster parent. We can never thank Sweet Dream House and Violet's foster mom enough for all of their help! All good things from here, Violet! We know that mommin' ain't easy and we promise that this is your last time!
