Petunia the rescue dog had only planned to nurse her own litter of babies. But when six orphaned puppies needed a foster mom, She was eager to take on the task.
Despite having 11 babies of her own, the 4-year-old St. Bernard-mix welcomed six orphans who’d recently been found in an abandoned home. Volunteers searched for the litter’s mother, but when she didn’t return for the pups, No Dog Left Behind stepped in.
“When they arrived, my husband rushed them home to see if Petunia would allow them to attach to her,” Petunia’s foster mom, Stephanie Easley, told The Dodo. “Thankfully, she immediately started cleaning them without skipping a beat. There was absolutely no question that these six were now her babies as well.”
Living as a stray on the streets of rural Minnesota, a pregnant Petunia relied on the kindness of strangers before she found her way to Easley’s house.
“At first there was worry that Petunia wasn’t going to be an attentive mom, but that dissipated quickly,” Easley said. “Once in my home and settled into her temporary ‘suite,’ she started performing her mom duties perfectly.”
“Petunia is taking to these orphans so well,” Easley added. “We went from a chance of her maybe needing help with her litter to taking in six more!”
Typical litters for large dogs range from one to twelve babies, with the average number around five or six. But so far, everything is looking up for the new mom and her extra-large litter.
“Petunia is just as sweet as can be,” Easley said. “She is affectionate, calm, kind, loving, lovable … honestly, I’m obsessed with her. I have been blessed with so many truly amazing foster dogs, but Petunia is already proving to be an incredibly special one!”
Now, the proud dog mom loves to show off her brood.
“Momma Petunia is an all star!” Easley said. “She is showing zero signs of struggle. She truly is a saint. I know that people often say that humans could learn from dogs, but Petunia is able to love and accept with zero hesitation. She helped others in need even though it’ll be a burden on her. Imagine what the world would be like if humans could all do that.”
Once Petunia’s parenting duties slow down, she and her babies will be available for adoption. But Easley already feels the impact of Petunia’s presence in her life.
“Fostering Petunia has already been a life-changing experience,” Easley said. “Look at how many lives I get a small part of saving —18 innocent lives all at the same time. Experiences that amazing dogs (like Petunia) bring into our lives are those that will be remembered forever. Those are what will help shape my children to be the next generation of good humans.”
