I was looking through Yahoo Canada īs news today and I came across this story that brought a tear to my eye and I wanted to share it with you.
EDMONTON
- She was a young, homeless single mom trying to raise a family of five, but
true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more.
Esperanza
had been badly injured when she was hit by a car, but the young shepherd-cross
with the thick white coat was still managing to care for her newborn puppies �
and a kitten � when she was found on a central Alberta reserve.
Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog
earlier this month and couldn īt believe it when the canine led her to her
blended brood.
"I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she
was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media
outlet.
Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where
veterinarians thought they īd have to amputate the mother dog īs bad leg.
But local vet, Dr. Milton Ness, volunteered to do a special surgery that
saved Esperanza īs hind quarter.
He calls her a "special soul." Shawna Randolph at the humane
society couldn īt agree more.
"She is such a sweet, sweet dog. She has such a wonderful
personality," Randoph said.
"It īs amazing when you think about it. You have this dog who is just so
giving of herself, caring for these newborn puppies and the kitten, making sure
they were cared for even though she was obviously in a lot of pain."
Esperanza īs background is a mystery. No one has come forward to claim her,
yet she īs well socialized. She īs only about one, but has had a definite taste
of freedom � she loves to be outside and run around. It īs not clear how long
she may have been on her own or when Jacob came onto the scene and turned on
his feline charm.
The devoted mother is recovering well. She and her pups will go into foster
care after the holidays until permanent homes can be found for them. But the
humane society ideally would like Esperanza and Jacob to be adopted together.
Randolph said their story is
especially heart-warming at this time of year.
"It īs all about family, isn īt it, at Christmas time, and here you have
the ultimate family."
And Esperanza īs name bodes well for her and her furry family īs future � it
means "hope" in Spanish.
