Last Christmas Eve was definitely memorable for a lot of people. But, not many people can brag about the fact that they witnessed a true wonder of nature – a miracle.
The employers of Instituto Amor em Patas (IAPA) São Paulo received a newcomer– a doggy mommy that was about to pop! Every second mattered. The rescued mommy could have given birth at any second, so they all went into standby mode.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hope that a litter of puppies soon would be there.
Mommy Natajuli And Her Pups
A doggy mommy named Natajuli wasn’t always a stray dog. She once had a family – a place to call her own, and at least someone to look after her.
But, all of that fell in the water when she started showing. Natajuli was a pregnant girl, and knowing that dogs carry their babies for approximately nine weeks, her former owner came with a plan that was only logical to him.
He abandoned Natajuli and left her on her own… afraid of her giant belly and puppies that were about to see the world.
When Natajuli arrived at the IAPA, she was terrified. The poor future mommy was so weak that she couldn’t even stand on her feet. Her giant belly was one of the reasons, but we can’t help but to assume malnutrition had a part in that, too.
Natajuli relaxed quickly in the knowing hands of the staff. She felt like it was the safest place to be, and she gave them her trust.
The next day, she was scheduled for an ultrasound where she was declared as fit to go back to the shelter and give birth to her babies.
Still, the hard part was waiting for her. It’s hard enough to give birth to one pup, let alone 13 or 14 of them – the number that the rescuers assumed she was carrying.
With a lot of support from the staff… sitting with her, massaging her belly, and giving her emotional support, Natajuli managed to give birth to the first puppy. It was a little boy!
Natajuli showered him with kisses and that’s when the rest of the gang followed.
The rescuers’ assumptions were right: Natajuli gave birth to 14 puppies!
She was one happy doggy momma!
Both Nati and her babies were doing great. Her little ones were thriving, and they were actually a bit chubby considering how many of them were packed inside her belly.
Even though mommy had a rough ending to her pregnancy, it still resulted in a wonderful beginning of new lives for her puppies.
All 14 of them will stay at the shelter until they’re ready to head out to their furever home and make more people happy.
