There are so many stray dogs on the street fending for themselves. Thankfully there are some kind people in the world willing to go out of their way to give these animals some food or warmth.
But after one hungry stray asked a couple for some scraps of food, she got more than she ever could’ve dreamed of. When Jacks Anderson and his wife stopped at a new lunch spot last month, they got an unexpected visitor: a stray pittie, who seemed to be hungrily eyeing their meals.
“There was a sweet little Pibble laying on the sidewalk, clearly hoping for a bite but too polite to ask,” Jacks wrote on TikTok. “The staff shooed her away and we lost sight of her.” But that wasn’t the end: after leaving the lunch stop, they ran into the hungry dog a few blocks away — and decided to help her out.
They gave the dog some of their leftover chicken. But even with this act of kindness, the dog seemed hesitant to accept their help. Jacks said the dog kept her distance with him, but trusted his wife. But after getting a closer look, it became clear that this dog had had a rough life, perhaps even before ending up on the streets.
“She was definitely skittish, but based on the scars on her face & body, it’s understandable,” Jacks wrote. Still, the dog happily accepted their meal — and the couple realized the dog wasn’t just eating for herself: she was heavily pregnant.
They gave the dog some of their leftover chicken. But even with this act of kindness, the dog seemed hesitant to accept their help. Jacks said the dog kept her distance with him, but trusted his wife. But after getting a closer look, it became clear that this dog had had a rough life, perhaps even before ending up on the streets.
“She was definitely skittish, but based on the scars on her face & body, it’s understandable,” Jacks wrote. Still, the dog happily accepted their meal — and the couple realized the dog wasn’t just eating for herself: she was heavily pregnant.
Realizing the dog needed even more help, they decided to take her in. They named the dog Poppy. After getting her in the car, Poppy suddenly had a look of peaceful serenity. The TikTok video shows her staring out the window. It’s as if the dog suddenly realized she was safe and in good hands, and Jacks recalls her having tears in her eyes.
“We just kind of paused at that moment to allow Poppy to calm a bit, but honestly, she was far more calm than I anticipated,” he told The Dodo. “I started to record the video of my wife comforting her, and I realized that Poppy had tears coming from her eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a dog, and it definitely made an impact.
Jacks shared the heartwarming rescue on TikTok, and people were clearly moved: the video has over 14 million views. But that was just the beginning of their story. A “Part 2” follow-up video shows that the couple brought the dog home — and thankfully a check-up gave her a clean bill of health.
“She’s clean & full of puppies,” Jacks wrote. Considering all she’s been through — and the fact that she was heavily pregnant — Poppy was more healthy and full of life than they could’ve imagined. “We’re going at her speed,” Jacks wrote. “Which is pretty quick, as it turns out.”
It always takes some time for stray dogs to acclimate to a new home, but Poppy seems to have warmed up quickly, despite her initial skittishness. The couple say she’s made herself at home and is a very loving dog.
“Poppy spent her first couple of days with us just one on one,” Jacks told The Dodo. “She slept nearly all the time and acclimated to the couch pretty quickly. In the last day or two, she’s become far more active, showing interest in the other dogs and following me around instead of sleeping.”
It was also only a matter of time before Poppy gave birth, and they were eagerly on “Puppy Watch.” Jacks’ TikTok videos reveal that the dog delivered nine beautiful, healthy puppies, six males and 3 females. The puppies will remain in their care until they old enough to be adopted out to forever homes.
But Poppy has already found hers: while the couple originally only intended to foster Poppy, they decided to adopt her for good! “Poppy will stay with us. We’re learning more about her all the time and building trust with her,” Jacks told The Dodo. “I don’t want to send her to someone else to make her go through that again. She’s earned an easier go of things.”
What a happy ending for Poppy! Thank you to this couple for caring so much about this formerly stray dog, and giving her a sweet forever home to have her puppies in! Share this incredible story!
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