Mom and six puppies surrendered to the BC SPCA

A cattle dog mix and her six two-week-old puppies have been surrendered to a BC SPCA animal protection officer on Southern Vancouver Island after the owner contacted the RCMP looking for assistance.

“We are so thankful the owner of these dogs recognized that they could not care for them and asked for assistance,” says Eileen Drever, BC SPCA senior officer protection and shareholder relations. “Taking care of a mom and her six puppies is a lot of work, ensuring they get everything they need to grow up to be healthy and well socialized dogs.”

“The puppies could barely open their eyes when they arrived at the centre,” says Emma Hamill, manager of the BC SPCA Victoria animal centre. “They appear to be healthy, however mom is underweight. We are working to get her weight up and improve her body condition score.”

Hamill adds that although Mom was slightly nervous at first, she quickly warmed up and started requesting frequent pets and cuddles from staff and volunteers. “We named her Sweetie because of her disposition. She craves the same level of attention and affection from people that she gives to her babies. She is a very good mom.”

Her puppies are noticing Sweetie’s interest and affection for people. “As their eyes begin to open fully, they are watching mom interact with people and have good experiences with them,” says Hamill. “This will go a long way in making these puppies great companions when they are ready to be adopted.”

Sweetie and her puppies will need to remain in the BC SPCA’s care for a minimum of six weeks. Each puppy will be vaccinated and will have spay or neuter surgery. “The cost and staff time to care for a litter of puppies is much greater than people realize,” says Hamill. “BC SPCA staff are working tirelessly to ensure the puppies are healthy and socialized. This includes daily weight checks plus monitoring their hydration and appetite. Puppies this young are extremely vulnerable and need dedicated care. We are currently looking for a foster home to help support this specialized care.”

And if the puppies are not adopted at eight weeks, staff and fosters will need to start house training and further socializing the dogs. “Typically, puppies are adopted quite quickly, but if they are larger breeds, sometimes they stay with us for months until we find the right home,” says Hamill.

If you can help Sweetie and her puppies and other animals in the BC SPCA care, please visit spca.bc.ca/donations-animal-emergency.