Stray dogs live tough lives on the streets. It’s even tougher when the weather is cold and freezing.
Earlier this month, one stray dog gave birth to six puppies in Red Lake, Minnesota during a snow storm. The mom, which was named Snowbelle, stayed outside with her puppies for more than three weeks and made sure they were warm even though she stopped producing milk.
Fortunately, one man was passing by and he saw the animals curled up in the snow. He immediately alerted the nearby Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue Shelter, who rescued the entire family. One of the employees at the shelter shared pictures of the dogs on Facebook, including one picture of Snowbelle and her babies in the snow.
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A concerned citizen brought Snowbelle and her puppies to the shelter. Karen Good, the founder of the shelter, quickly placed Snowbelle up in a kennel with blankets and pillows. The staff at the shelter was surprised to discover that the 3-week-old puppies survived in such harsh conditions.
The story doesn’t end here. After the puppies were taken to the rescue shelter, they were nurtured back to health with a “puppy gruel,” a mixture of puppy formula and puppy food. Also, their kennel had to be cleaned up after every meal because the puppies at this stage are messy eaters. Although the blankets need to be washed after every feeding, Snowbelle makes sure to keep her puppies clean.
Snowbelle also had to be nurtured back to health, just like her puppies. After a few days of good nutrition and safety, Snowbelle started producing milk again, so she now she can feed her puppies. During the time at the shelter, the mom had to regain her trust in people.
Snowbelle got a new name, Asha. After a full recovery, Karen had to find new homes for Asha and her puppies. Fortunately, the majority of the puppies are adopted, but of them are still waiting for their forever homes.
