A family looking for a new dog got a lot more than they bargained for when they fell in love with a big shepherd mix named Addi. When Montana Pecore lost her Boston Terrier last year, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to welcome another dog into her life. But her son, Mose Pecore, and his partner, Treana Mayer, came up with an idea. Their dog, a giant Newfoundland/St. Bernard mix, was in need of a canine companion to help with behavioral insecurities. They wanted to adopt a second dog, and they offered Montana the chance to be a part-time owner.
Posted by Addi's puppies care/help page on Thursday, December 28, 2017
The plan was to keep the future dog at Montana’s home part-time while they gradually introduced the couple’s current dog to their new companion. What they weren’t expecting was to also introduce 15 newborn puppies into the household.
Mose and Treana went to the St. Paul Humane Society and instantly fell in love Addi. She was big and affectionate, and they thought she’d be the perfect pup to help their dog come out of his shell. They made the adoption official, and Addi went home to be part of the family.
Their plan to have the dog in both homes was going well, but Treana, a veterinary student, started to notice something odd. In the few weeks they had Addi, the dog started putting on major weight. As her body continued to change, Treana started to suspect the dog was pregnant. She couldn’t deny the physical evidence, but according to the Humane Society, Addi was spayed—and she had the scar to prove it.
Big mama waiting to go to the vet.
Posted by Addi's puppies care/help page on Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Three weeks after the adoption, there was no denying the bulge that was Addi’s pregnant belly. When Treana bent down to inspect the dog’s stomach, she could feel the unborn puppies kicking her hand. The family ended up taking Addi to Cedar Pet Clinic where the veterinarian confirmed what they already knew. What they didn’t know, however, was exactly how many puppies Addi was hiding. Treana said in an article with CityPages,
“When it came up on the screen, her belly was completely full of spines and skulls. I yelled so loud that Mose could hear me from the hallway.”
With their suspicions confirmed, the family went about the monumental task of preparing for a huge litter of unexpected puppies. Montana set up a Facebook page and invited the community to follow Addi’s story and offer their support. To her surprise, dozens of people reached out willing to make donations and volunteer their time. They donated towels, blankets, food, and money to go toward Addi’s well-being and the future care of her big family.
Here are two of the x-rays. See how many heads and spines you can count and let us know
Posted by Addi's puppies care/help page on Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Everyone was busy preparing for the birth, but the question still remained about how Addi could be pregnant in the first place. They reached out to St. Paul Humane Society, and the shelter was quick to offer all the support they could. They admitted to making the mistake of assuming Addi was spayed, but the perfectly placed scar on the dog’s belly couldn’t be explained.
That was until Treana shared a picture of Addi on social media. One of her fellow veterinary students saw the post and sent a message saying,
“This is going to sound super weird, but on a sirvs(service) spring break trip last year, we saw a 100# Shepard mix named Addi who looks just like her and we were planning on spaying her, but when we opened her up she had too many adhesions from an HBC [hit by car] that we closed her up so she had a “spay scar” without the tattoo.”
With the mystery solved, the family was more determined than ever to help the dog who had been through so much safely deliver her babies. Dr. Noemi Plantz from the Cedar Pet Clinic volunteered to perform Addi’s c-section for free, and 12 other veterinary professionals also volunteered to help.
Posted by Addi's puppies care/help page on Tuesday, January 2, 2018
When Addi started showing signs of going into labor on Dec. 31, she and her large network of volunteers rushed to the vet’s office. There was the worry that the puppies’ health was at risk due to the surprise nature of the pregnancy. But in the end, Addi’s strength came through for her entire family. Treana said,
“All 15 came out and they are all huge, and beautiful, and perfect. It does seem like a miracle. Addi gave everything she had to them.”
Posted by Addi's puppies care/help page on Thursday, January 4, 2018
The puppies and their mama are all doing well and have a team of supporters keeping them healthy and happy. Numerous people have already reached out hoping to adopt one of Addi’s little miracles. They’re destined for good lives with loving families, just like their mom.
Featured image via Facebook/Addi’s puppies care/help page
via Whisker Therapy