Found Abandoned, Skeletal & Pregnant, Mama Dog Finds Home For Christmas

Amber the Golden Retriever has found a new favorite song in the holiday classic ā€œIā€™ll Be Home for Christmasā€ because this darling girl has found her forever home just in time to celebrate the season. Amberā€™s happily ever after with her new family almost wasnā€™t coming only after sheā€™d walked a long and miserable road as a dog used by ā€œbackyard breeders.ā€ But when she grew ill, her cruel masters threw her to the wind, leaving the four-year-old sweetheart to ... Read more The post Found Abandoned, Skeletal & Pregnant, Mama Dog Finds Home For Christmas appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.

Found Abandoned, Skeletal & Pregnant, Mama Dog Finds Home For Christmas

Amber the Golden Retriever has found a new favorite song in the holiday classic ā€œIā€™ll Be Home for Christmasā€ because this darling girl has found her forever home just in time to celebrate the season.

Amberā€™s happily ever after with her new family almost wasnā€™t coming only after sheā€™d walked a long and miserable road as a dog used by ā€œbackyard breeders.ā€ But when she grew ill, her cruel masters threw her to the wind, leaving the four-year-old sweetheart to fend for herself and the eight puppies she carried.

Photo: Blue Cross UK

Sick and Starving, But Still Strong for Her Unborn Pups

Found roaming in a field, Amber was sick, hugely pregnant, and scared. As Blue Cross for Pets in the UK reported, ā€œShe fled every time someone tried to help her until she had no energy or will left in her to run anymore.ā€

A dog walker finally caught up with Amber, taking her to a vet for the help she so needed. Emaciated save her ripe belly of puppies, the poor dog suffered not just from starvation but also sarcoptic mange. After Amberā€™s initial treatment with the vet, the Blue Cross Rehoming Centre, Burford welcomed her into their care. But seeing her state, Burford Centre Manager Hannah Wiltshire said, ā€œWe were so worried about her and her unborn puppies.ā€

Photo: Blue Cross UK

ā€œShe was so thin. If you stroked her, all you could feel were bones,ā€ said Hannah. ā€œAnd her skin was so red and sore. She was bleeding from some spots where she had clearly just been biting and itching so much.ā€

RELATED: Pregnant Dog Gets New Family, New Job, And A Whole New Life

Photo: Blue Cross UK

Huge Team of Help Leads to Happiness

Only a few days later, Amberā€™s labor began. But her stressed body struggled, and the puppiesā€™ heart rates dropped. Luckily, an emergency C-section saw all eight puppies safely born. And though her own body was fighting to heal from the mange and starvation, Amber was all in for her puppies, Theodore, Cider, Dougal, Kasper, Winnie, Holly, Sasha, and Bailey.

ā€œAmber didnā€™t reject any of the puppies, which was amazing, as thatā€™s a big risk with C-sections, and she was so poorly that her body was probably saying: ā€˜I canā€™t do this.ā€™ā€

Photo: Blue Cross UK

ā€œShe was so stressed. Panting all the time and not sleeping. She was feeding her puppies and keeping them warm, but there was no way she could produce enough milk for them all.ā€

But her motherā€™s heart would not give up when her eight tiny pups needed her so much. And with a team of twenty-five Blue Cross staff and volunteers working in shifts at her side day and night, Amber and her puppy pack had the strongest support system any furry one could ask for.

We were seriously concerned about all of them,ā€ shared Hannah. ā€œThere was a very real risk that all nine of them ā€“ mother and litter ā€“ wouldnā€™t make it.ā€

Photo: Blue Cross UK

But under Blue Crossā€™s care, Amber and all eight puppies began to thrive, with the sweet mama dog learning to relax and even how to take a good snooze! Soon, all of Amberā€™s happy, fat, and healthy puppies found their forever homes. And Amber found a family that needed her as much as she needed them.

Photo: Blue Cross UK

Forever Found

After losing their two senior Golden Retrievers, Henry and Stanley, the Griffith family struggled with grief. But Amber was the ray of sunshine they needed.

ā€œWe needed her, and she needed us. We focused on that,ā€ shared dog mom Elly.

And though she suffered hardship, Elly says Amber loves being with her human brother and sister, Sophie, eight, and Laurence, six, and ā€œshe just loves people, and everybody sheā€™s met ā€“ sheā€™s so happy now.ā€

Photo: Blue Cross UK
Photo: Blue Cross UK

ā€œSheā€™s brought us happiness. Itā€™s lovely, sheā€™s the perfect family pet.ā€

The Griffiths adopted Cocker Spaniel, Crumble, not long after bringing Amber home, so now the two rescue dogs can enjoy holiday fun while staying safe and warm together this Christmas!

RELATED: How To Celebrate Your Dog This Holiday Season!

Feature Image: www.bluecross.org.uk

The post Found Abandoned, Skeletal & Pregnant, Mama Dog Finds Home For Christmas appeared first on iHeartDogs.com.