It’s been a bittersweet week of fostering.
On Saturday, we lost the little brown puppy who had been struggling since birth. I’ve witnessed a few hundred births at this point, and it was clear when she arrived that something wasn’t right. It took quite some time to get her breathing, but even so, her size and head shape were quite different from the other puppies. She held on for five days, days I’m certain she wouldn’t have had without assistance, but instead of gaining, she steadily lost weight and strength.
During the last few days, Mama Roxy repeatedly took her out of the whelping box. Instinctively, she wanted to remove the vulnerable one to protect the rest of the litter from threat. I gently returned the puppy each time because while I also knew she was going, she didn’t seem to be in any pain and needed the warmth of her littermates. Even as she grew weaker and stopped being able to nurse, they still piled around her sharing their warmth. I thought it was interesting that both of the girl puppies were usually the ones wrapped around her.
I shared some of this on social media, and many people asked why I wasn’t bottle-feeding the puppy. As I said, there was clearly something not right, but more than that, even when she was nursing (often with me holding her in place), she wasn’t gaining. Her body was not absorbing any nutrients. Bottle feeding is not the romantic idea so many people believe it to be. It is difficult and exhausting. Many times, the effort to save them kills them with aspiration pneumonia. It takes a real skill; one I don’t possess.
Other people asked why I didn’t take her to a vet. Honest answer, and this may sound harsh: I don’t believe there was anything a vet could do. Also, it would cost the rescue thousands. And more than that, at this moment in time, there are too many dogs and not enough homes. Perfectly healthy dogs are being euthanized daily. Others desperately need the resources that this tiny puppy would take, and I’m certain it would have been in vain.
If I thought for a moment that the puppy was suffering, I might have reached out to a vet I know who does in-home euthanasia (even though I have no idea how that could be done, considering it can’t be possible to find a vein on a puppy who weighs 6 ounces). But the puppy never whined or thrashed or showed any sign of discomfort. She slept so soundly and breathed so shallowly that I must have had at least eight or ten false alarm moments when I was certain she had passed.
Letting this puppy go was the most humane thing I could do. Many people in our country have bought into the idea that we can and should save every animal at all cost. We believe that death is the worst possible outcome.
After fostering hundreds and spending my days working to save animals and help shelters, I know that a humane death is not the worst thing. Not by far. As a friend said to me, “Giving them a peaceful death is the last gift we can give them.” That’s true.
Keeping an animal alive just so that we don’t have to feel sad is a terrible reason to prolong a life. I’m still figuring out how this plays out amidst our current shelter crisis. It is heavy on my mind and my heart.
Luckily, there are nine fuzzy, fat little puppies blooming in my puppy room. I spend much too much time I don’t have just watching them and listening to their little sounds. Roxy is a good protective mother and hovers by whenever I weigh them or check collars.
There are a colorful bunch and as they grow, tiny personalities are emerging. There are seven boys and three (now two) girls. Because they were born on May the 4th, they are of course, the May the Fourth Be With You Litter.
And because I am not a Star Wars nerd and only saw the three original movies, I’m working from those names, except for the brown puppy who passed but held on so long. Someone suggested that Rey would be an appropriate name for her. The only name I’ve decided on for sure is Luke (he’s the pretty blond boy). I will likely name everyone next week once eyes are open and I know them better as individuals instead of big, mewling puppy pile.
The working name list, yet to be assigned, is: Princess Leia, Hans, Solo, Darth, Vader, (there are several black puppies), Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Chewbacca. I need one more female name. I’m thinking of Star. I know, or I’ve been told, there are lots of great names from the other six movies, but it seems simpler to keep it simple. (Read: I’m the one who has to remember who is who, write about them, document them, market them, and find them homes, so I’m going with names I know.)
If you or someone you know is looking to add a furry family member, please share the dogs and puppies in my foster cottage. I need help spreading the word! You can always find information about the dogs on this blog site (under the tab ‘foster dogs currently available for adoption’) and also on the Facebook page, Adoptable Dogs in Shenandoah County.
Cara
For information on my writing and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog. And if you’re on TikTok, you can find regular videos of my current fosters, dog news/tips, and more if you follow me there.
And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds, plus ideas, solutions, and resources to hep shelters save lives.
If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist. We are currently in need of Denta-life chews, dog vitamins, canned pate dog and puppy food, probiotics, training treats, soft treats, and bully sticks.
If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visit BringDogs.com to learn more.
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