Mitzi Brogdon was in the midst of a hectic day when she locked eyes with a pleading face. A brown and black dog was standing alone in a gravel parking lot just off the road. The president and director of Street Dog Rescue & Recovery had already rescued another dog that day, but she knew she couldn’t just keep driving.
As she approached the abandoned pup, later named Dolly, she was struck by how friendly she was.
“She came right up to me, let me pet her,” Brogdon told The Dodo.
But it soon became clear that Dolly needed more than affection. The sweet dog seemed to be begging for Brodgon to follow her down a path off the road.
“She started walking up the path to the cell tower, and I followed her,” Brogdon said. “That’s when I saw all the puppies spilling out from behind this fallen log.”
As each puppy came prancing out from behind their makeshift home, Brogdon began to count. Even to an experienced dog rescuer, finding this number of puppies — a whopping 16 — was a total surprise.
“I’m used to seeing dogs everywhere in Oklahoma,” Brogdon said. “But that many at once was still a shock.”
Brogdon eventually determined that the puppies were from three different litters, meaning Dolly had been watching out for many babies who weren’t her own. The brave mama had kept them safe, all by herself — making sure they had shelter and protecting them from the elements. It was impossible to tell how long they’d survived on their own, but it’s clear that they never would have made it without Dolly.
Brogdon called a rescue partner for backup, and as she waited, she made friends with the band of puppies. She was saddened to notice how well-socialized the pups were, meaning they had once been loved.
Eventually, Brogdon trapped the puppies. Then came another issue — how would she house 17 dogs in an area where most rescue facilities were already over capacity? Brogdon went live on Facebook, asking for help, and found spots for all of them with Forever Yours Dog Rescue, 405 Animal Rescue, The Fuzzy Friends Fund, and Safe Haven Animal Rescue.
The puppies will live at their foster homes until they’re fully vaccinated and ready to be adopted. As for Dolly, Brogdon hopes that this heroic dog, who’s so loving and affectionate, will find a forever home soon. There’s already been much more interest for the puppies than for Dolly. Brogdon urges adopters to consider this older girl, who’s just as deserving and ready for a family.
“She’s perfectly adoption ready, she’s a gem,” Brogdon said. “She’s the one who saved those puppies.”
source THE DODO
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