No one can resist the sweet faces of a puppy litter! But sadly, many rescue puppies never get the chance to feel the love. Many kill shelters are forced to euthanize pregnant dogs due to a lack of funding and space. Yet, many people keep avoiding spaying and neutering their own pets, which only adds to the overpopulation problem.
Luckily, one kind dog lover decided to do her part to help with these issues. She created a rescue specifically for pregnant dogs and litters of puppies. It’s like a maternity ward for rescue dogs!
A Safe Haven For Mom Dogs
Aron Jones founded Moms and Mutts: Colorado Rescue for Pregnant and Nursing Dogs (MAMCO) in 2017. When she heard that pregnant dogs often have to be euthanized, she was horrified, so she chose to help out in any way she could. Not only are pregnant dogs expensive and a lot of work, but many people mistake them as “aggressive.” But mom dogs only come off as aggressive because they’re doing their job: protecting their puppies.
“She wasn’t ever aggressive–she was terrified,” Jones said about a pregnant dog named Addison. “Now she’s the nicest dog you’ll ever meet in your whole life. She just needed a little bit of love. It took me a good six weeks to get her to let me touch her without wincing like I was going to hit her.”
Since starting the rescue, Jones and her team have saved over 8,200 dogs, both moms and puppies. She has a staff of about 18 people and over 480 active fosters. The Colorado rescue gets about 90% of the dogs from Texas, along with some from Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Fosters are needed to care for pregnant moms and assist them during birth. But others care for litters of puppies who have lost their moms. As it turns out, moms with puppies are easier than puppies on their own. After all, mom dogs have an instinct to care for all their pups’ needs.
Always More Puppies!
MAMCO is always full of adoptable puppies, especially now that things are starting to return to normal. Sadly, many families adopted dogs during COVID, but are now realizing they don’t have time for them. About three to five dogs are returned to the rescue every week. But if people surrender a litter of puppies that their dog had, the rescue will work with them to make sure their dog gets altered so it doesn’t keep happening. This involves signing a contract and the rescue contributing money to help out.
“The adoptions have just stalled because the world’s opening up again. Between them and the returns, it’s been really challenging,” said Jones. “We have 180 available puppies this weekend. It’s out of control ridiculous.”
When puppies are adopted, spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations, and deworming are included. The rescue is also happy to help support families in other ways too, such as providing transition food or even helping clean their home if they lost a former puppy to parvo. They want to ensure that all the adopters and dogs are happy and healthy in the long run.
MAMCO gives pregnant dogs the space and resources they need to shine. Foster parents find it very rewarding to care for these dogs and give them a second chance at life.
If you’re interested in fostering or adopting puppies and their moms, visit MAMCO’s website for more information. Every dog fostered makes a difference, especially when it’s a whole litter of puppies.
H/T: rover.com
Featured Image: @MAMCORescue/Facebook
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via Whisker Therapy