In January of 2025, I saw a very pregnant, very scared shepherd mix and made it my mission to rescue her. Ten days later, her puppies were born, and the neighborhood banded together to rescue them and the Mama Dog, who we eventually named Abbey. For two days, we tried to capture Abbey with no luck. With the severe winter storm blowing in and the sun setting, we knew it was time to take her six-day-old puppies home to be warmed and fed. As we drove the block and a half home, Abbey followed us the whole way. We pulled the car in the driveway, opened the garage, and walked into the kitchen, going to the sink to help the puppies go potty and then set to bottle-feeding 11 puppies. I was fully prepared to sleep in the whelping pen to feed puppies every 90 minutes for the next three weeks. My husband left shortly after helping me inside so he could help disassemble the pen we had been using to try to catch Abbey. He left the garage door open; the door to the garage was closed but not latched. A few moments later, I heard the all-too-familiar sound of toenails on the hardwood floors. Thinking it was our chocolate lab, I turned to say hello, quickly realizing that it was Abbey. Abbey looked at me as if to say, "Hey, you have my kids." Moving slowly and giving her a wide berth, I managed to shut the door to the garage, accomplishing what we had tried for two days.

On January 19, 2025, we set out on one of the most difficult journeys we had yet encountered. Abbey was extremely malnourished and afraid. We don't know if she was abused, abandoned, or horribly neglected, but we did know that she had VERY little trust in humans. Our saving grace was that she hesitantly trusted me from that first day, allowing me to pick her up and feed her while she nursed. We would not have been able to do everything we did over the ensuing months without the help of family, friends, strangers, and the dog-loving community. We were able to raise money to pay for food, formula, and all supplies necessary for whelping puppies and nursing Abbey back to health. Through another amazing neighbor, we were connected with a rescue that was able to see to the medical care of the puppies and Abbey. Four and a half months later, we can gladly say that all puppies have been adopted into amazing and loving homes.

Now we must turn our focus to Abbey. Abbey is by no means the same scared, malnourished dog I first saw on January 3, but she still has a way to go. We are wanting to send her to a board and train program in mid to late June to help her continue to build the confidence she so desperately needs to help her towards being adoptable. Training is $2400 plus tax, and we cannot pay that on our own. We were told that if we cannot keep her (we have three labs of our own and another coming home from school by the end of the summer) that euthanasia is probably our only option. I refuse to accept euthanasia as an option for a dog that I know to be so incredibly intelligent, tenderhearted, and good with other dogs. My heart breaks just thinking about it. I know that training is a long shot and that we will need to continue to work with her when she comes home from training. I have done and am still willing to give this dog everything I can to give her the life I know she deserves.

Edit: I have spoken to the trainer; pending evaluation she may need more than the 3 week board/ train program. Any supplemental week will be $400.