A dog named Grace was pregnant at a shelter, and her prospects for adoption looked bleak. That’s when Pups Without Borders swooped in to rescue her just hours before her scheduled euthanasia. Their initial plan was to foster Grace until she gave birth and then place her with a new foster. However, things didn’t quite go as planned.
When Grace’s foster mom brought her home, she sensed something wasn’t quite right. A PCR test revealed that Grace had the canine herpes virus (CHV). While CHV is typically asymptomatic for adult dogs, it is almost always fatal for puppies under three weeks old. Tragically, Grace gave birth, but none of her puppies survived. Heartbroken, Grace’s foster family did everything they could to comfort her.
A week later, Pups Without Borders received a call from another rescue group seeking help for 11 orphaned puppies who had lost their mother. The puppies, only 3.5 weeks old, were not eating and refusing formula. The shelter was prepared to put them down, but Pups Without Borders decided to take a chance. Despite Grace’s CHV, they reasoned the puppies were old enough to avoid contracting the virus, and Grace was their best hope.
The puppies were brought to Grace, who immediately switched into “mother” mode. Within 30 seconds, the puppies were nursing. Grace lovingly cared for them over the following weeks, and eventually, all the puppies found wonderful homes. Grace was later spayed but continued to serve as a surrogate mom to many homeless puppies.
Although Pups Without Borders initially sought a forever home for Grace, her foster mom officially adopted her in late 2024, giving Grace the loving home she deserves.
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