Yet another first for the TLC rescue shop....

Long past the usual puppy season, we have 4 female dogs either who have given birth in a foster home or still pregnant... Normally our pregnant females go into foster homes to deliver and raise their babies until they start getting their puppy shots... And then once we feel comfortable about the increased handling that happens to puppies at the rescue shop, they come back to be seen and drooled over, adopted into a furever home, etc.

But yesterday became yet another 'first' at the rescue shop - a delivery of puppies by Scarlett, a Doxie mix who with her brother (? mate?), Rhett came to us because they have demodex... Watching Scarlett closely for days, I thought we had at least 1 week if not 2 before her delivery... And because of her large size and talkative nature, I was holding off sending her to foster...

Having cleaned her area at the shop less than an hour before, I was really surprised when one of the volunteers came into my office to tell me Scarlett had a pup with her... We all sprang into action - removing wet blankets from her water breaking, adding in a bed warmer underneath her and the pup, warming up the wet pup, etc.

Many of the TLC volunteers have never witnessed live birth and it fascinating for them to watch... The 'chatty-ness' of everyone diminished rapidly and there was a hushed quietness that descended upon all... We usually are QUITE busy at the shop from the moment you step in to cover your shift until the moment you leave... There is ALWAYS something to be done or attended to... But for five minutes or more, everyone was gathered in quietness to just watch Mother Nature take over and create live birth...

The photo below is of Scarlett and her five hours old pups, all cleaned up and nursing...  Scarlett and her five pups (4 boys and 1 black female) are now in foster and doing well... She surprised us all, just as Scarlett O'Hara did in GWTW!