Two Missouri hikers were enjoying a peaceful hike in the woods when they stumbled upon something that turned their quiet day into an unexpected rescue mission. Just off the trail, they spotted a small pile of fluffy bodies huddled together under a tree. As they approached, they were surprised to discover a litter of tiny newborn puppies huddled together, with their exhausted mother nearby, warily watching over them.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) later shared the heartwarming story on Facebook, explaining how the dog, despite being extremely malnourished and tired, did her best to avoid eye contact with strangers but remained quietly protective of her babies. Rather than flee, she stayed close, determined to protect her puppies even in her weakened state. The deeply moved hikers made it their mission to keep the mother and her litter safe.
With some persistence, the hikers gradually gained the mother’s trust and were able to round up the entire family—10 puppies and their devoted mother—and bring them to the SRSL shelter. There, the SRSL team discovered that while the puppies were generally healthy and well-nourished, the mother was showing signs of severe dehydration and malnutrition, indicating that she had sacrificed her own health to feed her puppies.
“The mother dog is incredibly caring and patient,” said SRSL’s Natalie Thomson. “She is not aggressive at all, but rather grateful for all the help we give her. She has allowed us to handle her puppies and has even accepted affection, although she was very shy at first.”
“Thankfully, they did their duty to help them and get them to safety!” “,” SRSL’s Natalie Thomson told The Dodo.
The SRSL team named the mother dog “Mary, Queen of Scots” after the historic golfer, inspired by the coincidence of their annual golf fundraiser on the day of the rescue. Each pup was given a playful, “dogified” name in reference to famous golfers, such as “Tiger Woofs” and “Arnold Pawmer.”
One of SRSL’s dedicated foster moms, Megan Percell, quickly took Mary and her puppies in, providing them with the warmth, comfort and around-the-clock care they needed. Under Percell’s loving care, Mary is finally getting enough food to regain her strength, while her puppies continue to grow. Once the puppies are mature enough, SRSL hopes to find each of them a forever home where they will be cherished as much as they are now.
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