A senior black lab is slowly recovering after recently giving birth to 21 puppies.
While her near record-breaking litter sounds like something to celebrate, unfortunately her story is filled with her heartbreak, but also compassion from a community of animal lovers who want nothing but the best for her.
On October 24, a black lab, estimated to be between seven and eight years old, was brought to the Boone Area Humane Society in Boone, Iowa. She was in labor and appeared to be in septic shock.
She was rushed to Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine for more specialized care.
“She came in the back of a pickup truck, unresponsive,” Boone Area Humane Society director Vanessa Heenan told the Ames Tribune. “Her abdominal area was swollen, her nipples were enlarged; you could tell she’d nursed pups recently, at least in the past.”
After having been in labor for an estimated 24 hours, the dog gave birth to two puppies. One was stillborn and the other died only a few moments after birth.
The vets quickly realized she needed an emergency C-section.
As the vets continued administering care and trying to save puppy after puppy, the price kept increasing.
It was a price the shelter could not afford so they turned to their community for help.
So far they raised nearly $20,000.
Unfortunately, as of October 26 all of the puppies died. Half of them were stillborn and the remaining puppies were not far along enough to survive, despite receiving a transfusion from their mother.
Heenan doesn’t believe she was a victim of a puppy mill of taking hormones, however it’s possible she was inseminated by multiple male dogs.
The shelter is aware of the dog’s owner and said they are in communication with an attorney to see what can be done, however “with Iowa’s weak animal protection laws it’s is always an uphill battle.”
Now vets are focused on helping the senior dog recover. Just days after the extremely difficult birth, she showed some signs of improvement.
While she is still “weak,” she is “doing so much better.” According to a Facebook post, the vets at ISU will start to wean her off the pain medication and fluids.
Once she has recovered, she will be released from the hospital where she will go to a foster home to finish her recovery.
If you would like to donate to help pay for this mama dog’s recovery, you can visit the Boone Area Humane Society’s Facebook for more information or contact ISU College of Vet Med at 515-294-4900 to donate directly to her bill.
This hurts my heart so much to see an animal is so much distress. How could someone let this poor animal struggle like this?
Share this pray for her continued healing and to pray that the person or persons responsible are held accountable.
