Life on the streets is hard for any stray dog, but for a mama dog it is even harder. She worries whether she will find enough food, so that she can feed her babies. She tries to keep them warm.
The mama dog is protective of her tiny babies. As days pass, she feels more scared and exhausted. What keeps her going is the hope that someday her babies will live a happy life.
Jerry and Jagger, two stray dogs, faced this reality side by side. Jerry was pregnant and growing weaker, and her fur had started to fall out. Jagger stayed by her side and tried to protect her the only way he knew how.
The dogs desperately wanted to keep their pups safe and warm once they came into the world.
A Search Through The Brush
The rescue mission began after a 911 call reported a mama dog and a father dog trying to survive on their own.
A few days earlier, volunteers from Daily Kibble had noticed Jerry and Jagger while feeding street dogs. Jerry was heavily pregnant and exhausted.
The kind women worried she might deliver her pups somewhere unsafe, so they looked for two days, hoping to find her in time.
Fortunately, Jagger approached the volunteers during a feeding round. At first, he stayed close, and then turned toward the woods.
He wanted them to follow him. The volunteers walked after him through thick brush until he stopped near a hidden patch of grass where Jerry and their nine newborn puppies had been hiding.
The volunteers felt heartbroken by the sight.
“They were just cold and dirty and covered in fleas,” Jenni told The Dodo.
Jerry looked exhausted and a little bit confused.
Thankfully, the mama dog realized that humans were there to help, so she allowed the rescuers to take her little family. She knew that her love wasn’t enough to keep her babies safe.
Healing At The Ranch
As soon as Jenni, the founder of Jenni’s Ranch Rescue, heard about them, she offered to take them to the ranch.
Jerry, Jagger and the puppies finally had a chance to rest. Jenni welcomed them with open arms and looked forward to nursing them to health.
The litter was given car-themed names: Charger, Chevelle, Chevy, Denali, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes, Rambler and Tesla.
Jenni used every opportunity to visit Jerry and to sit with her. She cuddled her and gave her love. She hoped that Jerry would regain her confidence and realize what a great dog she was.
It took about a month for Jerry to start wagging her tail when she saw Jenni walking toward her. It was a turning point. She began regaining her confidence.
Thanks to the care they received along with their mama, the puppies started thriving.
Realizing that they were no longer in danger, the pups no longer felt scared.
Soon, they were bouncing around the ranch and exploring everything with confidence.
Jenni beamed with pride as she watched them.
“Getting these dogs healthy and into forever homes is what the whole purpose of our rescue is. And that kind of rejuvenates us to remind us why we keep doing this and putting our hearts on the line,” she said.
All the puppies found forever homes by the time they reached fourteen weeks.
Jerry and Jagger met their forever humans and got their happily ever after. We couldn’t be happier that the whole doggy family found the happiness and love they longed for.
