A Wichita family was treated to a delightful Mother’s Day surprise when their foster dog, Chloe gave birth to six puppies.
The dog was rescued from a local kill shelter at the end of March when the facility closed due to COVID-19. Chloe was facing euthanasia before Beauties and Beasts, Inc. stepped in to save her.
“She was one of those dogs put on the euthanasia list because of resources and she didn’t have a place to go and at the last minute we went ahead and found a foster for her,” McRae Steven, a volunteer at Beauties and Beasts, told KWCH News.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Chloe was malnourished when she first arrived at the shelter. Rescuers assumed her weight gain was simply a result of finally getting proper nutrition. No one suspected her little secret, not even the veterinarian who performed her intake exam.
Under normal circumstances, Chloe would have been spayed before heading to her foster home, but thanks to the current pandemic, “normal” has gone out the window. Not only are shelter staff spread thin, but local vets are currently only performing emergency surgeries.
Six Unexpected Arrivals
And so, Chloe’s six little stowaways managed to go undetected until their arrival on Sunday morning. After caring for the dog for several weeks, the foster family contacted Steven around 1:30 AM to report she was “acting strange.”
Chloe’s restless behavior turned out to be the first sign of labor. Within hours, she was happily nursing six healthy pups.
A Beauties and Beasts volunteer rushed to the foster home to deliver supplies for the rapidly growing family. According to a Facebook post from the rescue, Chloe is a natural mom and knows just what to do for her pups.
They now have their own baby pool nursing area and are resting comfortably.
The Bright Side Of A Deadly Pandemic
Rescuers are working overtime to save dogs during the COVID-19 outbreak, but they could not do it without foster families like the one who opened their home to Chloe. According to Steven, many Beauties and Beasts foster dogs have even become permanent family members.
“People realized they’re at home so they’ve had that time to spend at home with the dog to make sure its a right fit,” Steven said. “It’s been amazing. Some dogs we’ve had in boarding who haven’t been able to get placed in homes for quite some time have found homes.”
Let’s hope this wonderful foster and adoption trend continues long after the crisis is over!
H/T to KWCH News
Toledo, United States.
