Roo and Her Pups – No Time to Spare

The transport drivers were set to leave early the next morning, when the plans abruptly changed. The director from animal services called to let us know she was concerned the dogs would not survive the night unless they received immediate medical attention, which they could not provide. One of their employees even offered to meet the drivers part way to help get “Roo” and her pups to Pinellas County as quickly as possible. By 5:30 that afternoon, Executive Director Rick Chaboudy and Board member Annette Dettloff were on the road, heading north.

The agreed upon meeting place was a convenient store parking lot in the single-stop-light-town of Inglis, Florida. These photos show "Roo" was severely malnourished – just a piles of bones. She had no milk for her hungry puppies, and her sad face was tired, her spirit nearly defeated.

During the trip back to Pinellas County, Rick bottle fed each puppy a supplemental formula to help boost their systems before arriving at the animal emergency clinic. Although each puppy was slightly underweight, they were surprisingly in fairly good condition, proving "Roo" gave her puppies every ounce of nourishment possible, even to the detriment of her own life.

After several hours of compassionate care by the staff, "Roo" was given soft, warm bedding and enjoyed a comforting reunion with her pups. Still dealing with the emotional strain of everything she and her puppies had been through, "Roo" showed her sadness and exhaustion at the end of the long day.

A much happier "Roo" after a full 24 hours of rest and being properly cared for. Her belly is full, and she again has milk for her puppies. It’s almost like she’s smiling.

Through the entire experience, "Roo" was gentle to everyone she met, and allowed us to handle her puppies without hesitation. Although extremely attentive to her babies, she already trusted her new human friends, and put the lives of herself and her puppies in our hands. After the initial 24 hours of round-the-clock care, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that she made it past the most critical hours, and she is on the road to recovery. Now at a foster home, she is resting comfortably and no longer has to worry about her next meal, her next drink or whether that noise in the distance is a coyote after her pups.