One of the biggest misconceptions that breaks my heart over and over again is that animals don’t have feelings.
It has become an everyday occurrence that I come across somebody who states that our furry friends live solely off of instincts, incapable of love, grief, or joy.
Yet, I’ve seen dogs jumping when they are excited, cats purring in the laps of their owners, and even birds flying into the hands of their two-legged friends.
In an attempt to prove to these people that they are wrong, I bring you a story of heartbreak and resistance that will touch even the coldest heart. Grab your tissues… this is a hard one.
Push On Through
After finding out that there was a soon-to-be mama at a local shelter, an animal rescuer from Pups Without Borders by the name of Eve decided to pick her up and provide her with the best and most carefree pregnancy ever.
However, when she picked her up, she noticed that the pup, now named Grace, wasn’t looking too well.
“We took her to the vet and they weren’t really sure what was going on, but they thought maybe she was just getting really big because she had such a large litter,” Eve told GeoBeats.
The rescuer originally planned to keep Grace until she gave birth and then transfer her to a loving foster home, which was eagerly waiting for the mama and her adorable litter.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. Grace ended up losing every single puppy.
“We had already taken a PCR sample from Grace to our vet. We do that as a precaution for all of our dogs, especially the moms or pregnant dogs and sure enough we found out that Grace had canine herpes virus. For adult dogs, it’s usually asymptomatic and doesn’t cause any issues, but for puppies under three weeks, it’s usually a hundred percent fatal,” she added.
The entire rescue team was absolutely devastated. Seeing Grace extremely sad knowing that she would never see her puppies grow up into big, happy dogs broke everybody’s hearts.
Hoping to distract her from this tragic event, the rescuer made sure to give Grace tons of walks, treats, and of course cuddles, but nothing seemed to do it.
Until they received a call that changed everything!
Miracles Do Happen
A non-profit organization contacted the rescue informing them that they had a litter of orphaned puppies looking for somebody to take care of them.
After losing their mom, all 11 puppies refused to take a single bite of food. As soon as Eve heard this, she had the best idea. Knowing that Grace still had milk, she decided it was worth a shot to make a little introduction.
“We all decided that it was the best chance the puppies had. So, 11 o’clock at night when they arrived, I sped over as fast as I could, got them in a crate, picked them up, drove them home, opened the crate and she started sniffing them and wagging her tail and licking them and then trying to crawl into the crate,” she said.
Within seconds, Grace was lying on the floor nursing the pups who were absolutely starving.
For the next couple of weeks, this incredible mama took care of these puppies as if they were their own. Since they grew up big, strong, and absolutely adorable, they were adopted into loving homes in no time.
Seeing what an incredible surrogate mom Grace was, Eve knew that she would be the best addition to her rescue family. So, of course, she adopted her!
Now, whenever there is an adorable litter that needs some extra love and attention, you best believe that Grace is on the case!