Posted on 05/08/2014 6:50:14 AM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — Tuesday, Shelia Dahoney was visiting her daughter’s house in the Palominas area when she looked out to what she described as a “teeny front yard” and saw a stray dog doing what she thought was taking care of some natural business.
But upon going out in the yard, Dahoney notice a puppy hanging from the female dog.
The dog, which she described as a Border Collie mix, was giving birth and having a difficult time doing it.
About five-feet away was a puppy which already had been born.
Dahoney, a receptionist at the Coronado Veterinarian Hospital, now is fostering two of the four puppies — three males and one female — who survived. Two of the males are -dark chocolate in color, another is white with black markings, including one black eyebrow, and the female is white with black ears.
The male puppy, which was hanging from the mother, did not live and the mother — which Dahoney said “was such a sweet thing” — died soon after the puppies were delivered during a cesarean.
“It was like she hung on until we got all the puppies out and then she let go,” she said.
A longtime animal foster parent with the Border Animal Rescue organization, Dahoney said she called Laurie Tounget, the foster coordinator for BAR, and asked if the organization would be responsible. When he answer was yes, the mother dog and the first puppy were taken to the veterinarian clinic where Dahoney works.
It was there where veterinarian assistant Jessica Muzzarelli decided she would foster two of the four puppies so Dahoney would not have the entire burden.
For Muzzarelli this is her first time fostering puppies, but she noted she has fostered many kittens.
For Dahoney, who currently is fostering a kitten, the two new puppies brings her total up to about 100 of them she has cared for over the years.
One thing was certain, the puppies were hungry and were yelping for some milk, which was fed to them through tiny bottles and nipples, and for the little girl, the smallest of the quartet, her demands were as loud as her brothers.
Dahoney said the feeding process will happen about every two hours, except at night when there is usually one feeding.
During the day, when she and Muzzarelli work all the puppies will be together for some sibling bonding, as they were orphaned five days before Mother’s Day.
Finding homes for four
The four puppies being fostered will be ready for adoption when they are are between six- and eight-weeks-old, according to Laurie Tounget, the foster coordinator for Border Animal Rescue.
Before an individual or family is allowed to adopt, there has to be a home visit to ensure where they will be placed is clean and has a fenced-in yard, she said.
The dogs will receive their puppy shots and when they are between 5 and 6 months of age they will be spayed or neutered, she said.
The cost of adoption is $70 per animal and includes initial shots and the spaying and neutering, Tounget said.
For more information call her at (520) 236-1421.
Puppy Ping
bad link - goes to FR posting page
awww... Border Collies are the best doggies...
Indeed
There’s an organization in Mississippi, the Tunica Humane Society, that would take those three pups in right now. They are a no-kill shelter and the ladies that run it and the volunteers that help out are first rate people.
Where is Sierra Vista?
The phone number given at the end of the article has an Arizona area code.
In SouthEastern Arizona near Historic Tombstone Arizona.
Just outside the main Gate of Fort Huachuca Arizona.
Too far away for me to run over and adopt one. (I have 4 dogs already so I couldn’t do it anyway) :)
The ladies in the story do a good jod finding new homes for Doggies.
You would if you could, Ditter. I know you. :)
bump!
Me too.
I got dibs on one pup as soon as they are available. Coronado Veterinarian Hospital is where all my furry family get treated.
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