The arrival of new life is always a remarkable experience for parents and other family members. However, one dog owner thought just the opposite when his own dog gave birth to a litter of nine little bundles of joy. He was quick to post them on Facebook, not making a happy announcement; he simply wanted the dogs gone for good.
Nana is a 4-year-old pit bull boxer mix who gave birth to two litters of puppies, of which only one baby survived. When she was blessed with her third litter, all nine babies lived!
Chained for three out of her four years of life outside her home in North Carolina, Nana had a hard life living with her owner, who neglected her except for breeding. Then, with a big litter of nine puppies, the owner decided that he’d had enough. He wanted to give away all 10 pups, including the one from the previous litter, plus the mom.
Nana was subjected to all manner of abuse, from beatings to neglect from her owner, as the neighbors witnessed with their own eyes. She was chained up and often left out in the hot, southern sun. In order to protect her babies from the heat, and quite possibly from the abusive owner, Nana dug a hole in the ground and placed the pups inside so that they would, hopefully, remain safe.
Then one day in July, the owner decided to move from his residence and posted a photo of the mom and her pups, offering them to anyone who wanted them via a Facebook post. The neighbors who had been advocating for these dogs’ safety for a while, feeding them (as the owner refused to) and building a dog house for them, finally stepped in, removing their chains and taking them all to safety.
Nana is a very protective mom. Even at the sanctuary, she never left her children’s side, watching over their every movement as if they were the last thing she was clinging to in this world.
At the sanctuary, staff made sure the dogs received proper care and attention, and each puppy was named after a character from Peter Pan: Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, Wendy, John, Michael, Cubby, Liza, and Jane.
A couple of months later, the mom and her children flew with Pilots N Paws to New Jersey, where rescuers from Mr. Bone & Co. picked them up. On that same day, all of the dogs were taken to their respective foster homes, on their new journey to a better life.
Rescuers from Mr. Bone & Co. had previously visited the party of 10 during their stay at the sanctuary, allowing time for the dogs to get familiar with the staff. A heartwarming bond was built between the abandoned and the caregiver.
“She had learned to trust us over the course of our visits and allowed us to give her babies to kind homes who would take over caring for them until they found forever homes,” Frank said. “She knew she had done her part and had finally been able to save her babies and ensure they survived.”
It’s been incredible seeing Nana’s strength as a mother, and to everyone’s contentment, Nana’s foster family is considering adopting her as a permanent family member. Nana’s love for her children touched the hearts of many others, who worked together to help provide a better life for these furry friends. Nana’s story epitomizes how love and kindness can change someone’s life, and in this case, 10 lives.
