While driving through an orchard in Fresno, California, a Good Samaritan came across a heartbreaking sight that made him stop immediately.
On the side of the road stood an abandoned, desperate dog who seemed to be crying out for help.
When the man stepped out of his car and walked closer, he was stunned to realize she wasn’t alone — the mama dog was protecting seven tiny puppies by her side.
He wanted nothing more than to scoop them all up and take them to safety, but with so many little ones and a nervous mother guarding them, he needed help.
Earning A Mother’s Trust
The man reached out to Helga Weiss, president of Paw Squad 559 and co-founder of California Spay and Neuter, explaining the family’s situation and asking if she could step in.
Weiss promised she’d come the next morning to rescue the abandoned pups and their mother. Before leaving, the Good Samaritan placed food and water near them and dropped a pin of their location so rescuers could find them.
That night, Weiss couldn’t get the brave mama off her mind.
“[A]ll I could think about was the puppies and the poor mom trying to defend her children,” she told The Dodo.
Early the next morning, Weiss drove straight to the orchard. As soon as she stepped out of her car and softly spoke to the dogs, her heart sank. These babies had been cruelly betrayed and left in the cold.
Yet as she knelt and called to them, the puppies began wagging their tails and cautiously approached her. Their eyes shone with hope.
The mama, later named Mother Goose, wasn’t so sure. She barked and warned Weiss to keep her distance.
A ranch worker nearby told Weiss he had been feeding the family for several days, likely saving them from starvation. Sadly, he also revealed that Mother Goose originally had eight puppies — one had been taken by a coyote.
Weiss’s heart ached. No wonder the mama was so wary.
A Breakthrough Moment
Weiss sat down near Mother Goose and began offering her sausages, patiently waiting to gain her trust.
After two and a half long hours, the worried mama finally understood Weiss meant no harm. She allowed Weiss to gather her and her babies and gently place them into the car.
Overcome with emotion, Weiss began to cry as she held the exhausted dog close. That’s when something extraordinary happened.
“As soon as I picked her up and loaded her up into my car, she actually started licking the tears off my face. It was adorable,” Weiss said.
Safe At Last
The family traveled north to Washington, where Save-A-Mutt Rescue stepped in and found them a loving foster home.
But soon after settling in, foster mom Christie West noticed the puppies weren’t doing well. She rushed them to the vet, fearing the worst.
The diagnosis was parvo — a highly contagious and often deadly virus. Thankfully, Save-A-Mutt provided a new parvo treatment, and the pups slowly began to recover.
Thanks to round-the-clock care from West, the little ones regained their strength. One by one, they bounced back, playing and wagging as if the sickness had never touched them.
The siblings were given nursery-rhyme-inspired names: Itsy Bitsy, Star Light, Little Bo Peep, Twinkle Twinkle, Humpty Dumpty, Peter Piper, and Miss Muffet.
Now thriving, the puppies finally get to enjoy the playful joys of puppyhood.
In just a few weeks, they’ll head to Save-A-Mutt in Washington to begin their search for forever homes. Until then, they’re soaking up love and care from their foster mom.
Because of one kind stranger, a determined rescuer, and a community that refused to give up, Mother Goose and her babies are now safe, loved, and ready for a future full of happiness.