A RESCUE JOURNEY
Almost every week, we rescue dogs and cats from local animal control facilities and bring them back to our safe haven, with the promise of a future.
It’s easy to pick the ones that seem to be in perfect health. But we take the higher road, also choosing the ones who are overlooked – scared, injured, pregnant, and ill. Mother Teresa’s story illustrates the challenges of neglected, homeless dogs, and how the combined efforts of good Samaritans, animal control officers and volunteers can have a life changing impact on a homeless animal’s future.
THE STORY BEGAN WITH RESCUE AND BIRTH
Mostly Mutts received an urgent call from local animal control, to rescue a pregnant five-year old Retriever blend, in labor, who was abandoned in her time of need. She gave birth to six puppies but only three of them survived. Now under the care of the Mostly Mutts family, the new mother and babies were brought to a loving foster home for special attention. To honor this brave dog, we named her Mother Teresa.
A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE REVEALED
The following week, Mother Teresa and her pups were examined by our veterinarian, at our facility. Mother was diagnosed with heartworm disease. She had a long road ahead to complete weaning her surviving litter and then face the extensive treatment for heartworm. Thankfully, the puppies were relatively healthy and thriving. Mother Teresa and her litter headed back home with their foster mom to continue weaning her pups.
A few weeks later, Mostly Mutts received another urgent call from animal control. Three newborn Boxer mix puppies, abandoned in a plastic bag, were found in the woods by a good Samaritan, on a cold February morning.
WITH A LITTLE HUMAN HELP, MOTHER TERESA SAVES PUPPIES
Once they were eight weeks old and weaned, the two litters of puppies were sent to two separate foster families, to continue their care, until ready to be adopted.
ADOPTION COUNSELORS PLACE SIX PUPPIES IN GREAT HOMES
With our trained counselors taking great care to find the perfect fit, the precious puppies of Mother Teresa were all adopted by loving families, continuing the next chapter, to restore the health of this beautiful dog.
HEARTWORM TREATMENT BEGINS AND THE LONG RECOVERY ROAD AHEAD
Five months after her journey started, Mother Teresa's heartworm treatment began. She remained at the veterinary clinic for several days to observe her response to the painful treatment. Once back home with her foster mom, she had to remain quiet and inactive for 8 long weeks, to avoid the risk of the killed heartworms travelling through the bloodstream, causing an embolism.
ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING BEGIN
Mother Teresa remained with her foster mom, getting some well-deserved rest, after she had been relieved of her maternal duties. It was time to learn more about her potential as a future companion. Our assessment team launched into action, carefully testing to determine if she had any behavioral issues such as food aggression, shyness around other dogs, or fear of noises, for example. Then, her foster mom, also one of our trainers, was able to begin boosting Mother Teresa’s confidence by providing socialization with the outside world and mastering basic obedience skills.
READY FOR A NEW LIFE
Mother Teresa completely recovered from heartworm disease, which led to the next step of finding her forever home. A wonderful family came forward, realizing this dog was quite special, and was destined to be part of their lives. A meet and greet with the existing family pets confirmed that Mother Teresa was a welcome addition to their pack. She is finally in her forever home - healthy, safe, and adored by all, including her new sister, Daisy and feline brother, J. J. Van Gogh. Happy endings for rescued dogs just don’t get better than this.
The story continues whenever the next call comes to save dogs and cats in need of hope, care and the promise of a future. That’s when Mostly Mutts rallies, passing the rescue torch from county animal control heroes, to our committed veterinarian, experienced behavior evaluation/training team, dedicated fosters, compassionate adoption counselors, and every volunteer who helps change the lives of homeless animals.
