When a gentle, expectant mama dog named Molly needed comfort the most, her owner surrendered her to a shelter.
At first, she was anxious and uncertain about what would happen to her. But Molly soon discovered that even though she no longer had a family, she wasn’t abandoned. Caring hands reached out to her.
The shelter placed Molly in a foster home where she could safely deliver her eight little puppies.
She adored her babies endlessly and worried deeply about what the future might hold for them. Like every mother, she wanted to make sure they’d find a forever home.
The Ideal Foster Home
Thankfully, the Blount County Animal Welfare Society in Alcoa, Tennessee, stepped in to change her story.
They rescued Molly and her puppies, giving them the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
The loving mother doted on her pups until they were old enough to be adopted. When that time came, the whole furry family moved to Homeward Bound Dog Rescue of New York, a non-profit dedicated to finding dogs a permanent place to belong.
The puppies soon went into foster homes of their own, while Molly was welcomed by a family eager to shower her with love and help her begin her new chapter.
What nobody realized yet was that Molly was about to give them just as much healing as they gave her.
Only three days after Molly’s arrival, tragedy struck. Her foster family lost their beloved dog, Sassy — their very first foster fail — who crossed the rainbow bridge.
“…I have never had a dog look at me with so much love like Sassy did up to the very end,” Samantha McGuire, Molly’s foster mom, told The Dodo.
The grief was overwhelming. Heartbroken, McGuire curled up on the couch, crying as she tried to process saying goodbye to her beloved Sassy.
Molly noticed instantly. She couldn’t ignore her foster mom’s pain — and rushed in to help.
“Molly came right up and laid on top of me with her paws on my chest and wouldn’t move. I was confused and so distraught, so I thought maybe she just wanted attention. I kept crying, and she pressed into me and let me hold her, and I realized she was comforting me,” McGuire said.
Without any training, Molly knew what to do. She stayed pressed against her foster mom’s chest, calming her through the hardest of moments.
The Love She Needed
Even after McGuire’s tears eased, Molly didn’t leave her side.
That was when her foster mom knew — there was no way she could ever part with Molly. Just like Sassy before her, Molly became a foster fail.
McGuire felt convinced that Sassy had guided Molly to her, helping her through this painful chapter of life.
Her foster dad and the kids couldn’t have been happier with the decision. From the very beginning, Molly had captured everyone’s heart.
She’s especially tender with the children, lying beside them until they drift into sleep. Her gentle nature and endless affection quickly made her an irreplaceable part of the family.
McGuire now sees Molly as a true blessing. To her and her family, Molly feels like a gift from above.
The once-abandoned mama dog now lives the dream life she always deserved — spoiled, cherished, and loved beyond measure.