The Rural Rescue partners of the Arizona Animal Welfare League rely on our outreach and assistance to help the animals in their communities. When our partners 3 hours south of Phoenix were reaching overpopulation in their shelters, our medical director and intake manager hopped in our transport truck for a road trip! After spending half a day evaluating dogs in three different cities, a text came: “woman bringing puppies to parking lot, can you meet them?”
Our team lumbered their giant truck next to a small red hatchback in the far corner of a convenience store parking lot, ready for anything. Are they underage, what kind of dogs are they, do we have space? The woman opened the hatchback trunk to reveal 20 tiny faces looking back at them - spots, splotches, long hair and short, the craziest assortment!
The woman lives on a huge ranch, and her three females became pregnant at the same time. As they had spent most of their life together, they raised their puppies as one communal litter! The moms took turns feeding them, no matter which puppy, and they grew and bonded as a 20 puppy litter. She was keeping the moms and trying to get them spayed (there are no veterinary services anywhere near her), so while we loaded up her puppies, we worked with our rural partners to help her receive spay/neuter services.
At the end of the day, 20 puppies will now live in loving homes instead of possibly passing in the outdoor cold, our rural partners were able to alleviate the pressure on their kennels and avoid euthanizing healthy dogs, and a woman will be able to spay her pets and keep them healthy due to the relationships built across the state.
A true “celebrate the Joy” moment for the holiday season. When you donate, you are helping us continue this amazing outreach, saving lives like these 20 tiny puppies every day. Donate Today.
