After giving birth to 21 puppies, a large black lab is slowly recovering.
While her near-record litter may initially seem like a reason to rejoice, her story is marked by hardship, but she also attracts the sympathy of a community of animal lovers who wish her nothing but the best.
A black Labrador, estimated to be between seven and eight years old, was brought to the Boone Area Humane Society in Boone, Iowa, on October 24. He appeared to be in septic shock and in labor.
She was flown to Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine for further treatment.
“She arrived in the back of a pickup truck, unresponsive,” Vanessa Heenan, director of the Boone Area Humane Society, told the Ames Tribune. “Her domestic area was swollen, her nipples were enlarged; “She could tell that she had nursed puppies recently, at least in the past.”
The dog gave birth to two puppies after approximately 24 hours of labor. One was stillborn and the other died shortly after birth.
The vets realized she needed an emergency C-section right away.
As veterinarians continued to provide care and try to save puppy after puppy, the price continued to rise.
It was a price the shelter couldn’t afford, so they looked to their community for help.
So far they have raised around $20,000.
Furthermore, all the puppies died on October 26. Despite receiving a transfusion from his mother, half of the pups were stillborn and the pups were not far enough along to live.
Heenan does not believe she was a victim of a puppy mill or used hormones, but she could have been inseminated by large male dogs.
The shelter knows the dog’s owner and has stated that they are in contact with an attorney to see what can be done, but “with Iowa’s weak animal protection laws, it is always an uphill task.”
Veterinarians are now focusing on helping the elderly dog recover. He showed signs of progress just days after the extraordinarily painful delivery.
He is still “weak,” but “he is much better.” According to a Facebook post, ISU veterinarians will begin weaning him off medications and water.
She will be released from the hospital after she has recovered and placed with a foster family to complete her recovery.
If you would like to contribute to this mom dog’s recovery, you can do so through the Boone Area Humane Society Facebook page or by contacting ISU College of Vet Med at 515-294-4900.
It hurts my heart to hear an animal in such distress. How could anyone have allowed this innocent animal to behave like this?
Please share this prayer for his continued healing and for the іпdіⱱіdᴜаɩ or responsible persons to be held accountable.
