Pregnant Dog Surprises Texas Shelter with 11 Healthy Puppies

Quick Smiles:

• A heavily pregnant dog named Meter Maid, who could barely walk, astounded the team at Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) by delivering 11 healthy puppies.
• Despite her initial fear and discomfort, Meter Maid warmed up to the shelter staff and has embraced motherhood beautifully.
• APA! shared Meter Maid’s journey on their TikTok page, where it has brought joy to many viewers, highlighting the importance of shelter work and animal adoption.

@austinpetsalive

☀️ This AmplifyAustinDay, the sun is shining on the best mama dog: Meter Maid, who just gave birth to 11 puppies! She might not need much help doting on her little ones, but we do need your help to reach our $250,000 Amplify Austin goal before 6PM tomorrow!  While mama dogs like Meter Maid do a lot of the work raising their pups, it still costs us about $1,000 to feed, vaccinate, and house a family of dogs for several weeks–and most families don’t include 11 puppies!  Your donation goes twice as far this Amplify Day, because every single dollar is MATCHED up to $100K thanks to a generous, anonymous donor. Even a gift of $25 today goes a long way, turning into $50 to vaccinate a litter of puppies like this bunch!  Link in bio.  #austinpetsalive #austin #texas #austintx #ilivehereigivehere #amplifyaustin #amplifylifesaving #puppies #puppy #momdog #pregnantdog #shelterdog #dogsofinstagram #funny #cute

♬ My Girl Wukileak – wüki

When Meter Maid, a heavily pregnant dog, arrived at the Texas shelter Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) in February, she was so large she could hardly walk. The rescue team was taken aback by her size, and her advanced pregnancy made her fearful and withdrawn.

“Our teams showed her all the love as she began to warm up to us and even put her on a wagon so she could spend some time in the sun,” an APA! spokesperson told Newsweek.

After just 16 days at the shelter, Meter Maid surprised everyone by giving birth to 11 healthy puppies. The shelter staff was overjoyed by this unexpected development.

The puppies are thriving, and Meter Maid has adjusted beautifully to motherhood.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, averaging 17,260 a day. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters reached 46,807 last January, an increase of 1,744 compared to January 2022, as per 24Petwatch’s Shelter Watch Report.

Sadly, around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. To combat this, shelters are focusing on adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

APA! shared Meter Maid’s inspiring journey on their TikTok page @austinpetsalive, where it has brought joy to many viewers.

“Good lord that’s not a meter maid that’s a whole freight carrier,” one TikTok user commented. “So many babies.”

Another user added: “That face! I hope this is her last litter. She deserves all the time off!”

The shelter confirmed that this would indeed be Meter Maid’s last litter. She will be spayed before she becomes available for adoption.

“While mama dogs like Meter Maid do a lot of the work raising their pups, it still costs us about $1,000 to feed, vaccinate and house a family of dogs for several weeks,” the shelter explained.

Many shelters lack the resources to care for pregnant or nursing mothers. However, as a no-kill shelter, APA! is committed to providing Meter Maid and her puppies with all the love and care they need until they find a home.

Once they’re old enough, the puppies will be vaccinated and neutered before they’re made available for adoption.

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