Valerie

A community of care at BCDH meant survival for a huge litter

Tied to a railing, starving, and heavily pregnant - Valerie was barely surviving. But everything changed when she was rescued and brought to safety at Bath Cats and Dogs Home. 9 days later she gave birth to 11 puppies.

So many puppies would be demanding for any mother, but as underweight as she was, Valerie’s body couldn’t produce enough milk to feed 11 growing babies. Luckily, Valerie didn’t have to manage on her own anymore.

Staff and trained fosterers stepped up to help Valerie in her hour of need. They say it takes a village to raise a child; well, it takes a community to care for 11 puppies. With 7 puppies needing to be hand-reared to give them all the best chance at survival.

Puppies need a lot of care, so this involved bottle feeding and cleaning the puppies every 2 hours, including throughout the night. Sleep-deprived, we anxiously waited to see how many puppies would make it.

After 6 weeks in the team and Valerie's combined care, all 11 puppies are developing healthily, a massive achievement for such a large litter. 

It was a busy couple of months for everyone, and then happily we found them all homes. 11 adoption days!

Valerie

Throughout this, we have also cared for Valerie, building up her strength and recovery. She's a sweetheart and is already reserved to be adopted.

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Update: Valerie found her forever home

We’re so pleased to share that Valerie is now safely settled in her forever home.

After everything she had been through, Valerie’s adopters have given her the love, patience and comfort she always deserved. Her playful side has truly begun to shine and she’s been enjoying her new life to the fullest - including zooming around the house, exploring her surroundings and discovering the simple joys of being a much-loved family dog.

Her adopters told us shortly after she arrived: “We were expecting it to take some time, but last night she was curled up between us on the sofa! Her playful side is really coming out. She has had some zoomies around the house and enjoyed a snuffle ball today. We are really enjoying having Valerie with us and have fallen in love with her already.”

It’s hard to believe this is the same dog who was once found tied to a railing, fighting to survive. Today, Valerie is safe, cherished and exactly where she belongs.

After raising 11 puppies and overcoming such a difficult start, Valerie’s happy ending is one she truly earned.