Mama dog and pups get their day in the sun
While everyone was celebrating the planet this past Earth Day, an animal shelter in Salt Lake City was doing a different kind of cheering, as a mama dog who had just arrived at the shelter went into labor. She delivered six wiggly puppies before coming to the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Salt Lake City with her pups in tow a couple of days later.
Shelters across the country have seen an influx of puppies this year, and that puts them at risk of being killed when there isn’t space and resources to care for them all. Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill, and that means working together with other animal welfare organizations to save pets’ lives, giving each one what they need to move out of the shelter and into a happy new life.
[6 sweet stories for National Puppy Day]
The first thing the team did when the mama dog and her puppies arrived at the lifesaving center was to give them names. In honor of the day the puppies were born, the team named the mama dog Earth and her puppies after six of the planets.
Best Friends veterinarian Dr. Megan McCarthy gave the canine family a checkup. Then, they all went to a foster home, where the puppies had everything they needed to grow big and strong. Earth was an attentive, patient mama, and she received lots of support from the foster family.
When the puppies were ready to be adopted, they all went to homes in a flash. Earth is in a loving home, too. Today, she spends her days out in the yard rolling in the grass and soaking up the sun, and she relaxes in the evenings with her new family.
Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025
Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets.
Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.
You can help save homeless pets
You can help end the killing in shelters and save the lives of homeless pets when you foster, adopt, and advocate for the dogs and cats who need it most.
Saving lives around the country
Together, we're creating compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who care for them.
Let’s be friends!
Connect with us on social media to stay in the loop about the lifesaving progress we’re making together.
