Salem’s life had been far from easy.
Unlike many dogs who enjoy being the cherished four-legged member of the household, Salem had a different fate. Her previous family chose to give her up, saying they “didn’t want her anymore.”
Left behind, she found herself living with a neighbor in rural Mississippi, with an uncertain future ahead.
Thankfully, a rescue stepped in to help…
An Unexpected Discovery
Wanting to give Salem the care she deserved, the neighbor reached out to Happy Tails Canine Rescue in Memphis, Tennessee. The team welcomed her with open arms, and it didn’t take long for them to see how incredibly sweet she was.
Salem turned out to be the ideal companion. Gentle, kind, and loving, she won everyone over. When HTCR shared her story online, adoption requests came flooding in.
The rescue waited to place her until she had recovered. She arrived extremely underweight, with parasites and an injured foot, all of which required several weeks of treatment.
Once she was healthy again, Salem was adopted into a wonderful home. Her past was finally behind her, and she was ready for a fresh start.
HTCR continued to cover her medical care, including a scheduled spay procedure. But then came a stunning twist.
During her vet visit, they learned that it was too late to spay her: Salem was pregnant!
“When the vet went in to spay her, she found Salem was pregnant and due more than likely in a few days,” the rescue wrote on Facebook.
The rescue team and new owners were stunned. No one had noticed any signs of pregnancy, and Salem didn’t appear to be showing at all.
Another Twist Awaits
Salem’s situation was already unexpected, but her family was eager to support her through the pregnancy and help care for the puppies until they could be adopted.
Just a few days later, it was time. But another surprise was still waiting. When the vet performed an X-ray to count the puppies, the results shocked everyone once again.
There was only one puppy. A very large one.
“We asked for an x ray to get a puppy count…Salem is pregnant with ONE puppy! One miracle puppy,” the rescue wrote.
This rare singleton pregnancy caught everyone off guard. Curious about Salem’s breed, her family ran a DNA test, which shed more light on the situation.
Salem wasn’t the Aussie Shepherd–Border Collie mix they had assumed. She was actually 95% Great Pyrenees—no wonder the pup was so big!
Despite the risks that sometimes come with singleton births, Salem’s puppy was perfectly healthy. The little girl, named Astrid, was thriving and getting lots of love from her mom and her new family.
For now, the two will stay together. Salem will continue nursing until Astrid is strong enough to start her next chapter.
“Both Salem and Astrid will be spayed and baby Astrid will be up for adoption in our rescue,” the rescue added.
And who knows—Salem may still have a few surprises left. Only time will tell.