The vet put down her instruments and looked at the mother dog again. She had checked the results several times, along with the ultrasound.
But in all her years as a vet, she’d never encountered something like this. She had a million questions, but the only thing she was sure about was that the dog needed immediate attention.
Chris and Marissa had visited many animal shelters searching for a dog to adopt. They knew that out there was the perfect match for them, but it was difficult. They were planning to only adopt one dog, but when she saw the pregnant one giving her a sad look, the woman knew what she had to do.
As soon as it saw them, a dog came closer and began licking Marissa’s hands. Her belly, swollen with puppies, was huge, and Marissa knew that she deserved a proper, loving home for her and her puppies.
Chris and Marissa would soon find out that being pregnant at the shelter wasn’t the only sad part of the poor dog’s life. She had a very difficult time growing up.
The pitbull named Story had been owned by someone who ran a backyard breeding business. However, they dropped her at the shelter when feeding and caring for her became too expensive. Marissa couldn’t help but cry as she listened to the tragic story. She knew she had to save that Pitbull.
As if things didn’t already seem perfect enough, Chris and Marissa loved Pitbulls. They’d rescued several other Pitbulls before. The couple saved no less than ten Pitbulls. They loved the breed and knew there was more they could do for them, as Pitbulls are sadly often misunderstood.
If the couple could give a home to ten dogs, they could also provide one to Story. Or so they thought.
In fact, Pitbulls are downright outlawed in some States. The couple naturally had a lot of experience with this breed. Still, even they weren’t ready for what was about to unfold. No one was.
When Chris and Marissa visited various animal rescues, they were stunned by how many Pitbulls there were. And they had no idea that one of them was about to change their lives forever.
Pitbulls have a terribly unkind reputation due to their stocky build and large heads. Many consider them much more aggressive than they are. The stigma surrounding these dogs was nothing new to the couple. They knew the truth about these dogs. As a result, they had adopted numerous Pitbulls in the past.
The couple had never noticed anything in their dogs to warrant their bad reputation. As with any other breed, it all comes down to how the animal was treated. However, Story was about to change everything Chris and Marissa thought they knew about Pitbulls.
While filling out the forms to adopt Story, the staff told the couple that she was very close to giving birth. In fact, she was actually already overdue. Knowing how serious the situation could be, the couple still wanted to adopt Story.
It was a big decision, and the couple knew they couldn’t rush it. However, there wasn’t really any time to think. Even though time was of the essence, the couple knew they had to discuss things for a moment.
The couple started to talk about it and weighed the pros and cons of bringing home Story. Without a doubt, it was not a practical idea. However, Chris suggested they should foster Story’s puppies until they were ready for adoption.
However, this was only going to be temporary. The animal shelter would then look for their forever homes. This was a good idea since they couldn’t afford to keep more pets with their ten other dogs. The suggestion was brilliant, but that didn’t solve all their problems.
The couple still had to find out why Story had not given birth yet. They needed to give the pregnancy the attention it deserved. Chris and Marissa realized that there was a possibility that Story would lose her puppies.
Not only that, but she might also lose her life. Marissa found out that pregnant dogs experiencing trauma get so worried about the pups that they could choose to refuse delivery completely. Chris and Marissa were able to tell that this was a tricky situation.
They had to bring the pregnant pooch to the vet to find out more. This was important if they wanted to ensure the safety of the babies. The vet conducted an ultrasound on the dog, and she saw unbelievable results. She shook her head. How could this even be possible?
There must have been some kind of mistake. What the vet saw could change things for the couple. Marissa picked up on the fact that something wasn’t right. What was it now? The vet took a deep breath.
Before delivering the news, the vet began talking about the abnormality she found in Story’s womb. The couple had been expecting to see six puppies. But this didn’t align with the ultrasound results. The vet pointed to the outlines and then counted them for the couple. Chris and Marisa then figured out what was happening. They were now in shock as well.
They were told that Story would have six puppies, but the ultrasound revealed that this wasn’t true. What exactly was going on? The vet didn’t expect this either. She tried to count again after this. The results were always the same.
The vet had no choice but to tell them what it was. Chris and Marisa had been expecting six puppies, but the vet knew this was wrong. The pregnant dog wasn’t carrying six puppies but twelve.
Yes, that’s the number of dogs they were expecting. Story had twelve puppies in her womb. Then the vet said that the best thing they could do was head home and get ready for the birth.
If Story still hadn’t given birth after 48 hours, they should return for another examination. Chris and Marissa didn’t know why Story was late in giving birth. Overall, it was a dangerous situation.
At the same time, however, there seemed to be nothing they could do for Story. The only thing left to do was make her feel at home. When they arrived, Marissa came up with a clever plan to do so.
Marissa thought the best idea for the sensitive dog was to give her space and leave her alone to relax. The couple headed off to bed for the night and went to see Story early in the morning. They wanted to know if she was feeling better and more comfortable. They entered the spare bedroom.
Much to their delight, they found Story in there with her twelve adorable puppies. She was able to deliver them all while the two of them slept. There was something up, though. One of them was green. Was that even a dog, Chris asked. Marissa reached for the phone and quickly called the vet.
When the vet arrived, the first thing she did was to check the state of the puppies. They were healthy and thriving, and Story seemed okay too. The vet assured the couple that there was nothing wrong with the green one and it was just a normal puppy.
Light-colored dogs are born green on rare occasions, likely after contact with biliverdin, a green pigment found in bile while in the womb. The pigment dyes the fur before the puppy is born, and the color fades after the puppy enters the world. The vet assured them that the green puppy would look just like the others in no time. All the twelve puppies were put for adoption later and found loving homes.
