If you have owned a Great Dane at a certain point in your life, you know how great of family dogs they are. However, these sturdy athletes never cease to amaze us with their brilliance, and just when you think that you’ve cracked their code – they’ll surprise you with something new.
Etta, a 100-pound Great Dane, was a special needs puppy when Kathryn Mongrain, of The Bottle Brigade, adopted her. At that point, Kathryn couldn’t imagine how important Etta would become for her facility. Here’s why!
Etta Herself Was A Special Needs Puppy
Etta was taken by The Bottle Brigade – the animal rescue located in Houston, Texas, when she was just a newborn. This facility that originally deals with special needs puppies took her in as she was unable to walk.
She lost her hind paws due to an infection that caused lack of blood circulation in her extremities. Even though they didn’t think she would make it – Etta fought really hard and survived the most difficult part of her life.
She Never Lost Her Enthusiasm
She was a fighter all along. Little by little, she started crawling. By the time she was a couple of months old – she unexpectedly got up on her feet!
It was such an emotional moment seeing her walk like a regular puppy, especially because the doctors gave her little chance of survival.
Once she got better, Etta started eating voraciously, and she eventually grew up to be a 100-pound Great Dane dog. Eventually, she got prosthetics to help her walk normally, and she adapted in no time!
The Bottle Brigade Took Her In For Good
Kathryn’s initial idea was to foster Etta until she found her perfect home. However, being the good dog she is – it was just hard letting her go. Etta would patrol around the house and check up on all the other puppies like their mama, making them feel better.
When Kathryn realized how important her energy is to the entire facility, she decided that Etta was a keeper!
Being A Good Mama Is Her Daily Job
She always tries to make all those puppies feel better. As soon as she hears crying from a crate, she runs over to see what’s going on. In a way, it’s as she’s trying to calm the hurting puppies down with her presence.
“Etta would be the first into the nursery when there was a baby crying. They become lonely, and Etta was there trying to mother them. Maybe she remembers when she was in there, and now she’s giving back to these little babies. She’s helping to get to a point where she is now.”
Despite the fact that she’s not their birth mama, Etta’s embraced as the ultimate mom in the family. And, she loves her new role so much! Once a special needs puppy, she’s now an intuitive dog that takes her job very seriously.
We wish her a long, happy life around her new babies! They sure need her!