**** TRIGGER WARNING – THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS SOME READERS MAY FIND UPSETTING, PLEASE READ WITH CARE ***
Another day, another emergency intake. Seven, one week old puppies, needing around the clock care, now totally reliant on us for their survival. The puppies’ mother was abandoned by her owner, heavily pregnant, alone and frightened. We are unable to comment further on her condition, or take her into our care, as she is now involved in an animal cruelty investigation.
She was thankfully found in time and gave birth to her puppies in stray kennels. Tragically, the whole ordeal was so intensely worrying for her, feeling so unsafe, so stressed and so under threat. She instinctively, in desperation, attempted to kill her puppies. Two puppies were unable to be saved, and a further three were injured, with two requiring staples to their wounds. At just one week old, this was a huge and horrendous ordeal for them.
Of course there was no option but to remove the puppies from their mother as the stray kennel team desperately tried to find rescue space for them. The puppies’ temporary carers tried countless rescues to try and find them a place to go, all said no, there was no room. When we heard their plight we said yes straight away. Our centres are at capacity, but what would happen to them if we didn’t? These innocent babies had absolutely nowhere else to go. They deserved a chance at life.
At such a young age they require hand feeding, approximately every two hours, day and night. They are unable to feed or defecate independently, they cannot regulate their body temperature, at this age they would and should be entirely reliant on their mother. Seven more hungry mouths to feed, at a time we have just said goodbye to a recent litter of five, and have another dog in our care due to give birth any day.
The need currently is overwhelming. Our foster network is limited, our kennels are full and our costs increase every day. We desperately need your support to continue to provide care to puppies like these, and all the dogs and puppies that are desperately waiting for space in our centres. We do all we can to keep dogs with their people where it is the best option. We support veterinary care costs for dogs in loving homes through hard times, and provide nutritious food and behavioural advice to those who need it, but this also comes at an enormous cost and dozens of owners every week are still facing the heart breaking decision to give up their dogs.
We know times are tough for everyone. If you are able to, please, please donate. Even just £1, given by many, can help us be there for dogs in need, for as long as they need us.
If you choose to donate by text, you will receive a message asking if you would like to make your donation monthly, if you are able to do this, please do. This regular, reliable income is what enables us to jump into action when these emergencies arise.
We are extremely grateful to one of our wonderful, highly experienced, foster carers, who will be taking the puppies in for these very early weeks, fully supported by the team. The puppies are so far strong, feeding well and making plenty of puppy squeaks, despite the tragic circumstances in which they entered the world!