Last month, Valerie Hicks was driving down a road in Mississippi when she spotted an open crate by the side of the road with a fuzzy figure huddled inside. Without hesitation, Hicks turned her car around.
At the time, she was heading to Community Animal Rescue & Adoption (CARA), a nonprofit shelter where she serves as board president. The dog lover quickly jumped out of her car, assuming she would take the abandoned pup with her. But as she approached the crate, she realized the situation was far more serious than she had anticipated. The larger dog in the crate wasn’t alone — she was surrounded by tiny puppies.
“I was shocked,” Hicks told The Dodo. “Who would do that to a brand-new little family?”
Hicks called for help and waited for a rescue partner, Christina, to arrive. In the meantime, she comforted the mother dog, reassuring her that everything would be OK.
“Mom was very nervous, with maybe the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen,” Hicks recalled. “But she also seemed very grateful.”
At the shelter, the anxious mother began to relax. Finally, she had a safe place to care for her seven babies. CARA’s staff reached out to their foster network, and a foster family quickly agreed to take the pups once they were ready.
The rescuers watched in amazement as the family continued to grow and thrive. “This girl is one of the best moms ever,” CARA shared on Facebook. “The puppies are strong and healthy, nursing constantly. When they’re not nursing, they’re in complete milk comas!”
Today, the dogs are still with their foster family, getting ready to be placed in permanent homes.
“They are now 5 weeks old,” Hicks said. “Once they’re vetted and ready to travel, the entire family will head to one of our beloved northern partners, who will help find them wonderful homes.”