Pregnancy is one of the most challenging periods in a woman’s life.
However, I’d like to add that pregnant dogs experience the same storm of emotions and changes as hoomans do. It’s tricky to carry one baby, let alone five, six, seven, or even more.
You gotta understand us, girls, no matter our species. A pregnant gal needs to feel supported no matter what.
At the same time, pregnancy is the time when we’re overwhelmed with warm, fuzzy feelings, excited to meet our little ones.
When Poppy figured out she was with babies, she didn’t expect the prettiest time of her life to be on the streets of North Carolina’s Wake Forest. But, Poppy wasn’t cruising the streets, window shopping, or enjoying life.
Poppy was homeless.
The experienced mommy knew what was going to happen soon. Her little ones would come into the world where their mom was unwanted.
There was no roof over her head. There was no bright future for this canine family.
All Poppy could think of was where to give birth and how to take care of them once she’s back on her feet.
Overswamped with such feelings, Poppy barely processed that something good was about to happen to her and her soon-to-be-born pups.
Buy One, Get Seven Free
Shelter workers from Saving Grace North Carolina got Poppy when she was very pregnant. They knew this sweet girl was about to give birth soon.
Still, that didn’t stop Carter Cifelli from fostering Poppy. She knew what she was getting herself into, but Poppy was too precious to be left at the shelter. Carter felt like it was her duty to bring Poppy home and show her all the warmth she’d been missing.
“She mostly just wanted to rest, and I focused on letting her adjust to her space and get some good nutrition into her,” said Carter
The dog that knew nothing but to struggle in life was finally living a good life, thanks to Carter.
The following couple of days were pretty calm, filled with relaxation, cuddles, and enjoying the homey atmosphere. Nothing showed that soon enough, something was about to change.
When Carter and Poppy got up that day, they had a pretty normal morning, had a big breakfast, and then proceeded to sunbathe in the back yard.
They both were enjoying the nice weather when Poppy decided to hop on one of the garden chairs and make herself comfortable. Trying to make Poppy come inside wasn’t fruitful at all. Poppy stayed on the chair for about 10 minutes.
Carter then decided it was time to move inside since the sun was starting to burn. But first, she wanted to take a picture of Poppy. She looked so sweet and peaceful. It was the perfect photo opportunity.
“She’s hard to get a picture of because she likes to be right next to me,” Carter said. “I thought it was strange that she wasn’t moving! When I was really close to her, she turned her head and was licking at something on the seat of the chair.”
The accidental maternity photo shoot took an unexpected turn.
Why was Poppy so still? What was she looking at?
And, that’s when it hit Carter.
That’s when I noticed there was a puppy there!”
Carter had no time to be shocked. One of the puppies was already out, and the other ones might come any second now. She moved them inside, excited to welcome the little ones into the world.
It didn’t take long for the rest of the litter to come out. Poppy was a brave mommy and gave birth to seven puppies in total.
“She was so incredibly calm,” Carter said. “I am sure she has had puppies before and she definitely seems like a seasoned mom. She was very calm during labor and knew exactly what to do. There were no complications and all of her puppies were healthy!”
A birth that started out so casually turned out to be an easy one. Poppy and her babies were doing great. All of them were alive and healthy.
I guess Poppy had a gut feeling that everything would be alright. That’s why she decided she was comfortable enough with giving birth in a garden chair.
Luckily, Carter was an experienced foster mommy. She helped plenty of doggy mommies give birth right in her home.
The newcomers even got some pretty unique names. The four boys were named Ranch, Dijon, Honey Mustard, Sesame, and Tahini. And, the girls loved their names, Balsamic, and Vinaigrette.
Around the same time, Carter took in another pregnant dog mommy, Cadence. She also gave birth to a big litter.
This is them – 16 brothers and sisters that got raised together, and a blended family full of puppy love.
The summer of 2022 was pretty hectic at the Carter’s home in Wake Forest. It was a real dog house! With 16 puppies roaming freely, you would often feel like you’d get trapped in a puppy stampedo.
By the time this blended family of Poppy’s and Cadence’s pups reached the week 10 milestone, they found their furever families.
Carter still gets updates on how they’re all doing. It’s nice to see that people have kept up the connection with the pups’ foster mom – the first hooman that took care of them.
As for our mommy, Poppy, she was also adopted by a loving family shortly after sending off her precious little ones.
Thanks to Saving Grace North Carolina, Carter was able to find them nice and loving homes. Separation from her huge doggy family was pretty ruff, but she’ll always remember them with a smile on her face and warmth around her heart.
Carter documented the entire blended family journey on her Instagram. If you want to check out how everything went from day one, or maybe see if she’s still up to fostering pups in need, hit the follow button.