When a dog named Pita arrived at a Los Angeles shelter, the staff quickly realized they weren’t prepared to handle her situation.
The shelter was overcrowded, and Pita was extremely pregnant — ready to give birth at any moment. She needed her own space and constant monitoring, something the shelter simply couldn’t provide.
Desperate for help, they reached out to MaeDay Rescue, a nonprofit in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the group didn’t hesitate to step in.
A Very Pregnant Pup
When Natalie Garcia, founder of MaeDay Rescue, first laid eyes on Pita, she was stunned at the size of her belly.
“She looked like she had swallowed a watermelon. It was insane. She could hardly walk. She was so uncomfortable,” Garcia told The Dodo.
Pita’s belly was enormous, and Garcia wasted no time in getting her to a vet for an ultrasound.
The scan shocked everyone — no one could believe how many puppies this small dog was carrying.
With her due date so close, Garcia knew Pita needed to be placed in foster care immediately. Luckily, MaeDay Rescue was able to find her a safe and loving foster home where she could rest until the big moment arrived.
Although exhausted and anxious, Pita began to settle in. Surrounded by care and comfort, all she had to do now was wait.
The Puppies Arrive
A few days later, Garcia received an urgent call from Pita’s foster mom.
“I was actually at dinner. The foster calls me like, ‘I think it’s happening. She’s digging. She’s licking herself.’ I literally just left in the middle of dinner,” she recalled.
Garcia rushed over, and together with the foster mom, stayed by Pita’s side throughout the night.
By morning, Pita had become the proud mother of five healthy puppies: Baguette, Focaccia, Ciabatta, Loaf, and Rye.
The tiny family brought joy to everyone, but Garcia couldn’t help noticing something unusual about the puppies’ fur.
A Familiar Face
It soon became clear that the pups were a mix of black and yellow — black from their mom, Pita, and yellow from their dad.
That’s when Garcia realized who the father was: Bagel, a dog still at the same shelter!
Pita and Bagel had arrived at the shelter at the same time and had spent plenty of time together. It made perfect sense that he was the father.
Sadly, Bagel hadn’t been pulled from the shelter when Pita was, but MaeDay Rescue made sure to bring him in too so the little family could be reunited.
“I was like, ‘Well, we should just get the whole family, you know. We were making so many jokes about him not helping, like where is he? He hasn’t even sent a card to say congrats on the babies,” Garcia said.
Bagel was placed in foster care as well. At first, he was timid and unsure around people, much like Pita, but with time and patience, he began to trust and warm up.
Eventually, both Pita and Bagel found their forever homes with loving families. Their puppies, too, will soon follow in their pawprints once they’re ready for adoption.
From an overcrowded shelter to safe homes full of love, this little family’s story proves that sometimes fate brings everything full circle.