It had been on January 6 when animal rescue, Streetdog Foundation located in Memphis, Tennessee, received an emergency call from a local veterinary hospital about a mother dog who had just arrived with 11 tiny puppies, only days old, needing help. The German shepherd had been shot four times while protecting her puppies.
A subsequent police report from a man in Southwest Memphis, stated he shot a stray dog after she charged towards his family. At the time, there was no information disclosed about the dog having 11 newborn puppies.
Bullets were lodged in the dog’s arm, elbow and spine. One bullet had passed through her body cavity, but in spite of her injuries after being transferred to Brace Animal Hospital, the mother continued to nurse her puppies.
The dog’s condition was critical; she was unable to walk and she would require extensive care and constant monitoring to insure her injuries were not getting worse while she continued to nurse and care for her puppies.
The founders of Streetdog Foundation Melanie and Kent Pafford were determined to help. The amazing rescuers stayed with the mother dog, now named Epiphany and her puppies.
We are so thrilled to share that Mama now has a name—Epiphany! Since this sweet girl was rescued on January 6th, we thought the name was perfect to honor the day she found her second chance.
Every few hours they would rotate the puppies to help with nursing, provide Epiphany with food and nourishment and even help her outside for her bathroom tasks. Often the couple would take turns bottle feeding the puppies to give Epiphany more time to rest and build up her strength. Just two days later, the puppies had made it quite clear they wanted to nurse from their mother.
Her pups are thriving, too! Even the tiniest little one (who had us worried) is eating like a champ, and we can confirm: they’re getting chubbier by the minute.
This mama is truly something special, and we’re so grateful for your love and support as she and her babies continue this journey. Stay tuned—there’s more to come from Epiphany and her little krewe!
There is no doubt that miracles happen; angels are everywhere. Epiphany began to show progress, and it wasn’t long before she was able to stand and walk on her own with minimal assistance. Her responsibility and love towards her puppies never waivered despite the pain she endured, and the difficulties she overcame while her puppies gained weight and developed.
None of the bullets hit vital organs, however one did strike a part of her vertebra which bruised her spinal cord. At first she wasn’t able to use her back legs, but the condition worked out to be only temporary. At this time it is not known if she will need surgery in the future to remove bullet fragments.
On January 27, Epiphany and her 11 bear cubs (yes, they’re that big!) headed to their foster home.
Check them out here:
Their Facebook fundraiser is still ongoing. Expenses for the 12 dogs is expected to exceed $50,000.
And here she is now … looking quite beautiful don’t you agree?
For information on fostering, adopting, or donating, please visit Streetdog Foundation’s website.
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
