Are you afraid of ghosts?  La Donna wasn’t and that is a good thing because she and her puppies were living in a cemetery. 

      There are many stories of animals living in horrible conditions.  Sometimes they are strays and are surviving however they can.  Sometimes they are owned by someone who doesn’t want them or can’t or won’t care for them properly.  Orphaned puppies are usually easy to place, they have a cuteness factor that makes them very appealing.  It is the Moms that can take longer as they are often in bad shape and sometimes have behaviors that must be overcome. 

      When we got the call about the family of dogs living in the cemetery we scheduled them to come in to the Center.  By the time they arrived, all the puppies had been given away and only the Mom was brought in.  The thin Doberman blend dog showed evidence of having many litters, her nipples stretched and thin from too many puppies nursing on them.  Her coat was dry and dull and she seemed a bit bewildered in her new surroundings.

      Our hearts went out to the brave mom who had cared for her puppies and raised them in such difficult conditions.  She would never win a beauty contest, her ears were a little big and her body was not slim and sleek.  But we knew she deserved a chance.  We knew that to all her puppies, she was the world and she had made sure they were loved and cared for and able to have a future.

      La Donna was examined by our medical staff who noted a small spot of hair loss, so first she was treated for that condition.  We put her on a high quality diet to combat her earlier hit-or-miss feedings.

      Very soon her bright personality began to show through.  She began to be playful and act silly and her coat started to shine.  We discovered that she loved other dogs and so we included her in the play groups.  It is a joy to watch her run, her long legs stretched out and her eyes shining.  It is her time now.  She can worry about just herself and be pampered as such a hard working Mommy deserves.  She has no other responsibility than to wait for her new forever family and go off to her new forever home.