My name is Grace,!

11/10/09: The Story Of Grace, Faith And Destiny…..

One Of The Saddest Tales We Have Heard In A Long Time

A young female boxer was given away to a man and two weeks later he contacted animal control. He asked them to come out to his home to trap the boxer because the dog would not come to him. When animal control arrived they called to her, and she came right to them. Unfortunately this boxer, who we named Grace, was taken to a small town pound where they house the animals in a metal building that has no heat in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer.

We first heard about this sad story when we received a frantic email from a concerned woman named Nancy. Nancy volunteers with a small animal rescue in the area and she contacted us begging for our help. Animal control suspected that Grace was pregnant and she was scheduled to be killed. NBR agreed to take her and started to make transportation plans.

When Nancy contacted the shelter to let them know there was a place for the boxer, she was told that Grace had already delivered five puppies two days earlier. We were panic-stricken knowing that new born puppies do not fare well in a shelter environment. To our horror Nancy explained that, in the past, small puppies in this facility have fallen through the metal grates in the floor and have been lost down the kennel drains.

We immediately made arrangements with Nancy to remove mom and pups from the shelter. When she arrived to pick up the dogs, she was told one of the puppies had already died and the other pups were “not looking good”. In fact, two of the puppies were skinny and limp. Tragically these two pups died shortly after arriving at Nancy’s home.

Nancy was frantic. She could not get the surviving two pups to nurse. It was obvious that this was Grace’s first litter and neither she nor her puppies knew what to do. NBR called the only emergency animal hospital in the area to let them know that Grace and her two small babies were on their way. It would be a 45 minute drive, but we knew they needed medical care and we wanted to give them every possible chance to survive.

We spoke to the ER doctor after she completed her exams and were told that mama Grace was extremely malnourished, weak, had a low grade fever and a vaginal discharge. Antibiotics were subscribed. The puppies, both females, had yellow diarrhea that was so violent it squirted from their tiny bodies across the room. Their body temperatures were too low. The larger fawn pup (who we named Destiny) seemed more frail, but she and her sister (who we named Faith) both had a very weak suckle.

We were not satisfied with the quality of medical care that was given however, under the circumstances, they were the only available hospital at the time. The doctor would not keep the dogs in the hospital but was able to show Nancy how to stimulate the pups and place them on their mother’s nipples to get them to eat. The doctor sent them home with a hot water bottle and instructions to keep the pups warm. She was told she would need to wake up every two hours to assist with their feedings.

We held our breath until morning, concerned that we would receive bad news. However, thanks to Nancy’s vigilant care, little Destiny and tiny Faith survived the night. We had already made arrangements for the mom and pups to be seen by a vet who has saved several of our rescues in the past. We knew they would get the best of care.

Nancy and her husband drove over four hours to get mom and pups to their scheduled vet appointment in the morning, stopping on the way to assist Destiny and Faith to nurse. The doctor was waiting for their arrival and saw them immediately. Grace was given a complete exam and blood tests as well as radiographs of her abdomen. Luckily there were no other puppies in her birth canal. Blood tests showed that Grace was anemic but her levels were otherwise normal. She was also infested with fleas which were taken care of as well.

Faith and Destiny were also examined thoroughly and both pups were given subcutaneous fluids to avoid dehydration and medication to soothe their irritated digestive tracts. Mom and pups have been receiving round the clock medical attention, and all three are doing well with supportive care. Despite Grace’s malnutrition she still has plenty of milk so no supplemental feeding has been necessary so far. Her motherly instincts are starting to “kick in” and she is starting to get more accustomed to being a mom.

They have all been getting stronger and stronger each day, however the pups are in “guarded condition” and need attentive care.

This poor, frightened little mama, who is not much older than a puppy herself, does not seem to know how to drink water out of a bowl or even walk on a leash. It is very pitiful to think about the type of life she must have been used to living. She needs to be carried outside to relieve herself. It appears that Grace has lived the majority of her life in a crate or a kennel, and seems most comfortable in confined spaces. Despite everything she has been through, she is incredibly sweet to everyone who has come in contact with her.

Grace, Faith and Destiny are clearly survivors and need your positive thoughts and prayers. Once their condition is more stable they will also need a foster home where someone is home most of the day. Patience and an ability to care for their immediate needs is a must. Please contact us to offer your help. Your assistance will be rewarded with immeasurable gratitude from Grace, Faith and Destiny as well as all the NBR volunteers.

Can you donate to help
Grace, Faith and Destiny?

You can send a check directly to: Northeastern Boxer Rescue
P.O. Box 95 Sunderland MA 01375. or use PayPal

Jane Scott - janescott@boxerrescue.com

Pam Fosco - pam@boxerrescue.com