Senior Labrador Retriever That Was Surrendered At A Shelter Gives Birth To 21 Puppies After Being In Labor For More Than A Day
What started as a routine surrender at a shelter quickly turned into a life-or-death emergency for one very pregnant Labrador Retriever. She arrived weak, swollen, and already deep into labor, with staff realizing almost immediately that something was seriously wrong.
The dog, later taken to Iowa University College of Veterinary Medicine, had already delivered premature puppies and needed urgent care. As the bills climbed and her condition worsened, the shelter had to rally fast to give her a chance.
Then came the part nobody expected, a litter far bigger than anyone had planned for.
The Boone Area Humane Society took to social media to ask for their community's support
They didn't fail the organization or the dog mom. They were able to raise almost $20,000, the full amount for the emergency surgery.
The medical staff estimated that the dog mom was around 7 to 8 years old — she was well past the recommended age for breeding.
That estimate made the situation even harder to stomach.
The silver lining is that they do not believe she was a victim of a puppy mill or an irresponsible breeder.
The mom gave birth to a total of 21 premature puppies.
The record for the largest dog litter born is 24 puppies.
Even with that huge litter, the odds were never good.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of their birth, most of the puppies were endangered.
Only 12 of them managed to survive the ordeal.
The even sadder news is that none of the senior dog's pups made it out of the hospital alive.
Not long after the tragic events surrounding the birth of her litter, Mama moved into the home of her foster family. Mama got her own bed and a stuffed toy to cuddle with.
After everything she went through, the quiet foster home was a big change.
It took her a while to fully adjust to her new home, but she slowly warmed up to her foster family.
She may have gone through difficult times, but Mama deserves this better and improved life.
She was also renamed Ruthie in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg — another fighter.
Ruthie's struggles were not in vain. It is definitely sad that she lost all of her puppies, but the money left over from her surgery has funded a new effort by the Boone Area Humane Society.
The new initiative is called Ruthie's Fund. It aims to help dogs and cats who come into the shelter needing emergency medical care.
Her story turned into something bigger than one rescue.
Wait, a Redditor sold rescued puppies to cover vet bills, then got slammed by their sister. See the full story.
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