Meet Hopper: a resilient dog who will do anything to protect the ones she loves.
This past April, team members at Stray Rescue of St. Louis received a tip about a sick dog wandering a local farm. Rescuers raced to the scene, driving through pouring rain. When they arrived, they found Hopper peering nervously at them from behind a gate, her eyes occasionally darting toward a barn nearby.
“She was missing just about all of her hair,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote in a Facebook post. “She was interested in us, but wouldn't let us approach, so we set a humane trap.”
In no time, the hungry pup was secured in a rescue crate. But the job wasn’t over. Rescuers followed the farm owner through the mud toward the shed. There, nestled safely in a pile of
hay, were Hopper’s three puppies.
You can watch the rescue unfold in a video here:
Team members were in awe of the smart mama’s ability to keep her puppies warm and dry.
“This mom has given her babies everything she has,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote.
Rescuers began coordinating foster care for the family. Back at the shelter, they gave them all a warm bath and washed the dirt out of their fur. Hopper slowly let her guard down, allowing her new friends to pamper her.
“This was the first time this dog has ever been cared for,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote. “At first she was nervous [about] our touch, but eventually began to lean into it.”
Local dog advocate Randy Morgan and his wife, Debi, agreed to foster the whole group. Rescuers named the babies Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. Today, Hopper and her babies are safe in foster care, waiting for the day they’ll meet their forever families.
“She and her babies will be safe in a quiet and peaceful home where she can nurse stress-free,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis wrote. “We can't wait to see her healthy, shiny and [blossoming]!”
