Dog moms usually give birth to rather normal litters of 6 to 7 puppies.
But, Petunia was no ordinary dog. This girl’s special in so many ways, and one of them is her litter of 11 pawmazing little ones.
The four-year-old St. Bernard mix ended up in a foster program that offered her and her 11 babies a new chance in life.
Still, that’s not the only reason why Petunia’s so incredible.
This kind-hearted dog mommy took in 6 more orphaned pups and proved once and for all that some animals have a better soul than most people do.
So Many Mouths To Feed
First, there was one. Then, came numbers two, three, four… and eventually the 11th one.
Petunia gave birth to her huge litter of 11 pups and she couldn’t be prouder. The sweet mommy was so excited to give birth to her little ones, so eager to see the magic of motherhood.
Just weeks before the big day, Petunia was on the streets, living a dreadful stray life. She had no idea that the odds would change in her favor. She was hopeless, praying for a miracle.
The miracle came in the form of a Minnesota couple, Stephanie Easley, and her husband. The couple gladly accepted Petunia into their home, super excited to welcome her litter, too. They knew that the chances that Petunia would give birth to up to 12 puppies were pretty high.
And, their expectations were right: 11 babies came into the Easley home.
Petunia took everything like a champ! Her maternal instincts kicked in from the first second, and it was clear to Stephanie that she wouldn’t need any help with her babies.
But then, just when they thought everything was going according to plan, the phone rang.
It was No Dog Left Behind – a Minnesota-based rescue organization that had a favor to ask Petunia’s pawrents.
The Easley’s were asked to foster 6 more puppies that were just found in an abandoned house.
They were orphans. Their mom was nowhere to be found. And, they would most likely starve to death without a mommy’s love and nurture.
“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, said. “Thankfully, she immediately started cleaning them without skipping a beat. There was absolutely no question that these six were now her babies as well.”
This superstar pup took in the orphans, and never, not for a second, thought of rejecting them. She knew what it felt like to be all alone. Petunia felt like it was her duty to step in and become their new mommy.
“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.”
What can I say? Some dogs were simply born to be moms.
Petunia’s Litter Pupdate
Petunia, as well as her babies and the orphan pups, were blessed to end up with Stephanie Easley. She’s a huge dog lover and has been taking care of dogs that need foster care for a while.
And, let me tell you something: she’s doing such an incredible job!
Stephanie and her husband were helping Petunia as much as they could by supplementing the pups. Fortunately, soon enough, it was time to transition from mommy’s milk to actual food.
Let’s just say that sweet Petunia was not a fan of it. She’s one of those breastfeeding moms that finds absolute comfort and relaxation in nursing her little ones.
In fact, Petunia even tried stealing pups from other moms on one of the events they went to, called puppy socialization party. She would’ve taken them all if she had been allowed to. No kidding!
As if there weren’t already so many mouths to feed back at home.
Petunia turned out to be the ideal dog mommy.
Unfortunately, the time to say goodbye to her 17 puppies soon came.
Lucky for them, all puppies quickly found their furever families.
And, so did Petunia.
Stephanie actually met her a few months after the blended family went their separate ways, back in the fall of 2022.
She was still pawmazing, just the way Stephanie remembered her.
To this day, Petunia remains as one of the most incredible dogs Stephanie has ever met.
I gotta add: she’s definitely the most amazing dog mommy I ever saw in my life, and I saw lots and lots of them.
Petunia, the St. Bernard, is definitely a saint.
