A Pregnant Dog Lay Outside a Supermarket

Luisa lay so close to the supermarket doors that shoppers sometimes brushed against her legs as they passed. Some came close to stepping on her. She stayed there quietly.

People had seen her go inside the store looking for food. By the time the rescuers found her outside, they thought she could give birth at any moment.

The entrance where people came and went was where they found her, and they needed to get her somewhere she could have her puppies.

What the rescuers saw at the supermarket

In a video published by the Animal Rescue YouTube channel, the people who helped Luisa describe finding her by the entrance. One rescuer remembered thinking about what she was facing there.

“I felt so sorry that she had to go through this all alone,” one rescuer said.

Some people at the supermarket thought Luisa had been left there. Others remembered seeing her come inside looking for food. Those accounts tell us a little about the time she spent at the store. How she got there remains unclear.

Best Friends Animal Society advises, “If you find a loose dog outside, do not assume they don’t have a home.” If you call for help after finding a dog, give the person on the other end something they can act on. Tell them exactly where the dog is and what you can see.

In Luisa’s case, that was a dog who appeared close to giving birth, lying right beside a busy entrance.

A vet visit before the puppies came

The rescuers took Luisa to a veterinarian for an ultrasound. They hoped to get a sense of how many puppies she was carrying so they could prepare for the birth.

VCA Animal Hospitals explains, “Due to positioning within the abdomen, it can be difficult to count the number of fetuses on ultrasound accurately.” If your own dog has an ultrasound, it’s worth asking your vet how sure they are about the count and what they’d like you to watch for when labor starts.

The next part of Luisa’s story took place away from the supermarket doors. By then, she had a litter beside her.

Luisa kept her newborns close

The rescuers described little puppies of different colors and sizes, wriggling beside their mother. Luisa curled around them, cleaned their faces and gently nudged them when they cried.

“Even when exhausted, she never stopped being tender,” the rescuers said.

Of all the details in the rescue team’s account, I keep coming back to that little nudge. At the supermarket, people passed close enough to brush against Luisa’s legs.

With her puppies beside her, she could lower her head and touch one with her nose when it stirred.

The American Kennel Club explains, “Newborn puppies cannot control their body temperature.” If you’re setting up a place for a mother dog and her litter, check for drafts at floor level, where the puppies will be lying.

A room that feels warm to you may feel different down there.

What changed as the puppies grew

Early on, the puppies spent their time close to Luisa, nursing and huddling against her. As they grew, they began to venture away from her side and move around on their own.

The rescue team’s account went from tiny puppies wriggling beside their mother to puppies running, tumbling and finding their voices.

Anyone who’s watched a puppy try to keep up with its littermates can picture how quickly a quiet moment can turn into a noisy one.

The rescue team’s update at 80 days

By the time the puppies were 80 days old, the rescuers described them as healthy and curious. The little ones Luisa once curled around were now running around on their own.

I think about how little of that the rescuers could have pictured when they first saw her.

All they knew in that moment was that a dog was lying by the supermarket doors, she looked close to giving birth, and she needed someone to stop.

If Luisa’s story made you think of someone who always stops to help an animal, send it to them.

Also read:

She Was Too Weak to Stand, but This Abandoned Dog Still Ran Toward the People Who Came to Save Her