Moms Fixed Free: Lilo's Story

Lilo, a cream-colored Shih Tzu was in the middle of delivering a litter of puppies when crisis struck. Two puppies had already emerged safely, but a third was stuck in the birth canal during delivery. Her Dakin foster caregiver, Emily, rushed her to an emergency veterinary hospital.

Fortunately, by the time they arrived, the third puppy was born, but Lilo’s work was far from done. Radiographs revealed six additional puppies in Lilo’s uterus. Emily stayed at the hospital until all nine puppies were born and declared healthy, along with Lilo.

Emily had volunteered to care for Lilo in the last couple of weeks of her pregnancy when Lilo’s family enrolled her in Dakin’s Moms Fixed Free program. Her person was overwhelmed by Lilo’s surprise pregnancy and needed help. The Moms Fixed Free program provides free spay surgery and vaccines for rabies and distemper for pregnant dogs and cats after they have weaned their litter. Moms are returned to their families and Dakin finds new homes for the litter after they have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered. So, after the last of her pups found new homes, Lilo was spayed and returned to her joyous family.

Mother’s Day reminded us recently how hard moms work to be sure their children have what they need to grow up happy and healthy. Do you have a cat or dog that just gave birth to a litter? Let her enjoy watching these last babies grow up and leave the house!

If you’d like to know more about Moms Fixed Free, please email us at Springfield@dakinhumane.org.