You never really know when life might throw a surprise your way.
It could be while driving home from work and suddenly seeing an accident. It could happen on a walk when you notice smoke from a nearby house. Or even in a park when you come across a stranger in distress.
Life has a way of presenting these unexpected moments — sometimes frightening, sometimes life-changing.
For Belle Bermudez, a woman living in Southern California, such a moment came on an ordinary day. She was stepping out of a friend’s house, expecting nothing unusual. But what unfolded just across the street would change her life — and the life of a very special dog — forever.
An Urgent Call For Help
The moment Belle left her friend’s home, she noticed a woman frantically waving her over. There was urgency in her body language, so Belle rushed across the street without hesitation.
The woman led Belle to a small, overgrown patch of bushes. Curled up tightly inside was something small, scruffy, and shaking. It was a dog, dirty and terribly matted, trying to stay invisible from the world.
Clearly, this dog had been on her own for quite some time. Belle knew immediately she needed help, but how could they gain her trust?
“My neighbor gave me a spare leash, which I used to catch Swiftie and bring her down from the hill where she ran up when I first tried to approach her,” Belle explained later. “She was very scared and wouldn’t move, eat any food/treats or drink any water while anyone was near her.”
With patience and gentle reassurance, the frightened little dog eventually allowed Belle to guide her away from the bushes and into safety.
The first step was to scan the dog for a microchip. Unfortunately, there was none. This poor pup, later named Swiftie, was truly a stray with no owner to come looking for her.
Belle couldn’t just leave her, so she brought Swiftie home. What she found was heartbreaking: the little dog’s fur was so overgrown and matted it looked like a heavy blanket wrapped around her.
Belle and a friend carefully bathed her, brushed out the grime, and gave her a much-needed haircut. It was a transformation — but what they uncovered beneath all that fur was even more surprising.
Swiftie was pregnant.
Her swollen belly, hidden beneath the mats, revealed that she was expecting puppies very soon.
A Change Of Plans
At first, Belle thought the best option was to take Swiftie to a shelter the next morning.
“This way I could be confident that she and her puppies would be well taken care of,” she said. “I planned to take her there as soon as they opened at 10 a.m. the following morning.”
But Swiftie had plans of her own.
The very next morning, Belle noticed Swiftie acting strangely — restless, pacing, and anxious. Within hours, it was clear. Swiftie was in labor.
“I panicked at first, but then somehow mom mode took over,” Belle recalled. “I got towels and called the friend who helped me groom her … She got there before the third and fourth came and helped me get them cleaned up and nursing on Mama.”
The frightened, scruffy stray had blossomed overnight into a devoted mother. Swiftie gave birth to seven healthy puppies right in Belle’s home.
Seven New Lives
The Bermudez home was suddenly filled with new life — and new names. Each of Swiftie’s babies got a name inspired by fun, unique themes: Traffic Light, Lover, Augustine, Lavender, Haze, Cowboy, and Saturn.
The plan was for Belle and her husband to keep them for just a short while until Swiftie recovered. But soon, it became clear that some of the pups needed extra care.
“Then the two tinies started losing weight, and I began supplementing them with formula and Nutrical and decided to keep them for five to seven days until everyone stabilized. Then that turned into 10 to 14 days. Then we decided that we would foster everyone for the eight weeks and find homes for everyone. Both [my] husband and I got attached to making sure they grow and thrive,” Belle shared.
The Challenges Of Fostering
Caring for one dog is no small task, but caring for so many newborn puppies was overwhelming at times. Some pups weren’t gaining weight as quickly as others, and Belle spent sleepless nights bottle-feeding them, monitoring their health, and making sure Swiftie was coping well.
It was tough work, but it paid off. Slowly, all of Swiftie’s puppies grew strong and healthy under Belle’s watchful eye.
Eventually, the puppies were thriving and ready for adoption. One by one, they began finding their forever families. Swiftie, too, would soon be placed in her very own home.
Swiftie, a Peekapoo mix (part Pekingese, part Miniature Poodle), found her forever mom not long after. From a terrified stray hiding in the bushes to a confident, loving mama, her journey was nothing short of miraculous.
Belle admitted she was sad to see the puppies go, but she also knew they were heading into loving homes.
Most importantly, Swiftie herself had transformed. Once too scared to look at people, she now trusted, loved, and wanted to be loved back.
Though Belle no longer wakes up to the sound of puppy whimpers, she feels nothing but pride for helping Swiftie and her pups survive, grow, and thrive.
From the moment Belle crossed the street that day, her life changed — as did Swiftie’s.
What started as a rescue of one scruffy stray turned into the saving of eight precious lives.
Swiftie and her pups are proof that sometimes the greatest surprises in life are the ones we never expect.