The situation left her completely out of breath. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she kept counting and counting. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She couldn’t help but wonder how they got there, but she couldn’t allow herself to waste any more time. She needed to make a decision and she needed to make it fast.
Chris and Mariesa were the proud human parents of ten beautiful rescued pit bulls. They’d been rescuing one of most misunderstood dog breeds in the world for years, but they had never seen anything like what they saw that day. With so many dogs to care for, life was hardly boring for the couple. Still, they felt like they needed to do more, so they decided to visit a local animal shelter.
Mariesa is an animal lover and she will do anything to help an animal in need, which is one of the many reasons why her relationships had failed in the past. She struggled to find someone who would also share her passion for rescuing dogs, but her world did a complete 180 when she met Chris. They bonded over their mutual love for rescuing animals, and grew stronger every day.
The moment Mariesa and Chris stepped foot inside the shelter they quickly noticed something odd. Almost every pup at Pibbles & More Animal Rescue, (also known as “PMAR”) were pit bulls. This was heartbreaking, to say the least, but the couple knew they couldn’t just save them all. They were greeted by an ocean of wagging tails that made them feel so welcomed, but also guilty for not being able to take them all home with them. It was going to be a tough choice, but the couple had no idea just how much their lives was about to change.
Whether you love them or fear them, pit bulls are a wonderful breed of animals that get a bad rep in the media. Their physical traits are intimidating, to put it mildly, but they’re also kind and gentle creatures who are very eager to please people. In some states, they have made it illegal to own a pit bull, but luckily, that wasn’t an issue for Chris and Mariesa. The couple simply adored their athletic and loyal furry babies, whom they’ve been taking care of all of their lives. They were willing to help in any capacity, but they would’ve never expected to find themselves in such a tough spot.
Aside from getting a bad rep in the news, there are a ton of myths and unsubstantiated information making the rounds online. Pit bulls are considered to be one of the most dangerous breeds in the world, but there’s little to no evidence to support that claim. As it turns out, science is now backing up the notion that dogs take after their owners, as they can mirror their anxiety, negativity and neuroticism. Unfortunately, this particular breed has been exploited for years by misinformed owners who didn’t raise their pups in a healthy and proper environment. But Mariesa and Chris were not anticipating to stumble upon a very special pup…one that would steal their hearts.
Mariesa kept looking around the shelter, hopelessly blocking herself from focusing on every single dog that was stuck there. If it would’ve been possible, she would’ve taken them all in. But Mariesa and Chris had previously discussed this, and she’d promised him she’d only adopt one dog. Only problem was…how could she only choose one when there were so many friendly faces staring back at her? And that’s when she saw her. She immediately felt a connection with this one pup.
One dog had completely caught her attention as she made her way towards Mariesa, in the friendliest way possible. The beautiful and stunning pit bull was a bit heavier than other pups, and that’s when it hit her. She was pregnant with puppies! Her eyes pleaded Mariesa to take her home with her, and she couldn’t resist. She knew right then and there that they were meant to be together. She couldn’t help but feel like that pup needed her the most that day. But when the staff shared her story, Mariesa couldn’t help but feel horrified.
The loving staff at Pibbles & More wanted Mariesa to know more about that special pregnant pup with the sad puppy eyes. Her name was Storie. Her previous owners were backyard breeders, and they had simply given up on her the second they noticed she was pregnant. That seems to be the case with most irresponsible dog owners, who don’t take into account that dogs can easily get pregnant. Now they couldn’t afford to take care of her and her puppies, so they decided to ditch her. Mariesa knew Chris would back her up if she decided to take her home, even though she was expecting. But soon enough, the couple would get some news from their local vet.
Storie looked paw-sitively pregnant, but as it turns out, this beautiful dog momma was due to give birth more than a week ago, which left Mariesa baffled. She looked like she was in desperate need to give birth any minute now, but no one at the shelter could figure out what that hadn’t happened yet. Mariesa and Chris could tell the staff was beyond worried and they were starting to feel it too.
Storie had found some peace of mind when she laid her head on Mariesa’s lap and pleaded with her to take her home. Dogs can communicate what’s going on with them just as much as humans can, but they use different tactics to do so. Mariesa could feel she was trying to tell her something, but she knew she didn’t have the resources to take care of another pup, plus her 6 unborn puppies. Little did she know, this was just the tip of the iceberg.
She didn’t feel like she had any other choice but to take Storie and her unborn babies home with her. After she gave birth, Mariesa and Chris would become the proud owners of a whopping 12 pups. She knew this was nothing short of insane, but there was no going back. She had to help this dog, and she wasn’t about to walk away without her. But she couldn’t help but feel concerned. What if there was a horrible reason why this poor pit bull momma didn’t give birth yet? What if the situation was too much for them to handle?
Mariesa and Chris knew a lot about pit bulls. They’d spent the majority of their adult life rescuing them, but they’d never stumbled upon a pup who was past her due date, like Storie. They couldn’t help but play a million scenarios that left them even more concerned about the poor momma dog. Finally, the couple decided it was time to take matters into their own hands and do a little research. But what they discovered left them in shock.
Dogs are incredibly smart, but Mariesa and Chris were already aware of it. The animal-loving couple dug deep and stumbled upon an article that helped them put Storie’s situation into perspective. Apparently, trauma and stress can greatly affect a pup, and Storie had obviously been put through the ringer before she was given up for adoption. Being pregnant at the shelter also caused some unnecessary stress that caused her to be even more anxious.
Mariesa and Chris realized that Storie was stuck in a tough situation, as she could potentially lose her babies if she didn’t give birth soon. It finally dawned on Mariesa: Storie wasn’t able to give birth in an environment that put stress on her and her litter of puppies. She took one look at Chris, and then jumped into the car. She knew exactly what needed to happen next.
Mariesa and Chris needed to get Storie checked up by a vet. Time was of the essence, as they simply didn’t know just how complicated her situation was at this point. But when the vet saw the images on the ultrasound, he couldn’t help but gasp. For a minute, they figured it could’ve been a mistake. But it was clear as night and day. The vet stared at the couple before sharing the mind-blowing news.
The vet started pointing out different shapes in the monitor, and counting them. Once she’d traced the outlines of every visible figure with her fingers, she made sure to double check and count again. But there was no mistake. Something was off with Storie, but what was it?
The vet was simply dumbfounded. In all of her years, she had yet to see something like this. She kept counting and tracing those distinctive shapes as she kept visualizing them. Then she counted and counted some more. She then turned to Mariesa and Chris something that would leave them speechless. “There aren’t six puppies, but twelve!” The couple couldn’t help but stare at each other in disbelief. How did this even happen in the first place? Wasn’t Storie supposed to be expecting six puppies? But the only thing that mattered the most was knowing if Storie would be okay.
Everyone was speechless, including the vet. Storie was expecting a huge litter of 12 puppies, but she should’ve already given birth and it was starting to worry Mariesa and Chris. Fortunately, the ultrasound showed no signs that there was anything to be concerned about. The puppies were all in good health, so all they could do for now was take Storie home and wait. The vet instructed them to give her a call if she still didn’t have the puppies after 48 hours. Still, no one could’ve ever imagined the reason why Storie was holding off from giving birth, and she was a great reason for it.
The couple couldn’t help but feel distressed about Storie’s situation. No one could guarantee that Storie wouldn’t lose her babies, or even worse, that she’d make it through the delivery. Mariesa would hold her breath for the next 48 hours in anticipation, counting every minute until her precious girl would give birth. She couldn’t understand why Storie was holding out from delivering her puppies for so long, but she thought of a plan that might help the pup.
Mariesa felt for Storie. She couldn’t imagine being in her situation, so she tried to make her as comfortable as possible. They gave the poor exhausted mom-to-be some room to reduce the stress. Chris and Mariesa removed the clutter from a room in their home and threw in a bunch of pillows and blankets. They wanted Storie to feel safe and comfy. But after Mariesa and Chris went to bed, something miraculous happened, and it almost left them in tears.
The couple made sure to make the right accommodations for Storie, and once they realized she felt safe and comfortable, they went to bed themselves. After all, it had been quite a day for everyone! The couple slept through the entire night without realizing that a true miracle had happened overnight. When woke up to a happy Storie nursing her newborn babies, (12 of them, as the vet predicted!) and everyone looked happy and most importantly, healthy! Their beautiful rescue dog had finally given birth. This was such a relief for the couple, they couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. Now it was clear why she had been holding out for so long!
“Dogs having puppies at shelters, it’s not the best thing for them. It’s stressful for her, stressful for the puppies,” said Chris later on. Apparently, Storie was so protective of her babies that she didn’t want to risk their lives in an environment that didn’t make her feel safe, so she waited as long as her tiny body allowed her to. Her plan was to wait until she felt like she was in safe hands. So when this lovely couple took her in, she felt safe enough to let go and give birth. In a way, it was like all the planets aligned when Mariesa and Chris took Storie home with them!
It was clear that Storie had finally felt safe enough to give birth at Mariesa and Chris’ home after spending a mere 24 hours in there. The couple were simply elated to have helped her feel loved, and taken care of, particularly given her situation. Thanks to this animal-loving couple, the 12 puppies along with their momma DOG were happy, healthy, and comfortable.
After two weeks, Storie’s puppies opened their tiny little eyes, and little by little, they became even more and more adorable. Chris and Mariesa were simply in awe of their little furballs. It seemed like in the blink of an eye, these tiny puppies went from fragile little beings, to healthy grown puppies who loved to play in the yard. Storie, on the other hand, was a total natural when it came to being a mom. And in little to no time, adoption requests started to pour in.
As you can imagine, Mariesa and Chris couldn’t care for Storie’s babies, so they made the right call and found each puppy a forever home, somewhere where they’d be taken care of in the best way possible. They were really attached to these lovely pups, but they knew they needed to put the puppies’ best interest first. Plus, having the extra room to rescue more pups sort of alleviated the situation, as they knew they’d want to help other pups in need. After the pups were ten weeks old, they were adopted by their new families. But what did the future hold for Storie?
Storie would get her happily ever after too, as shortly after her story got posted on Facebook, an experienced pit bull owner fell in love with the resilient doggy mom. He immediately felt a connection to Storie, and as soon as the two of them met face to face, he realized it was love at first sight! Storie’s new owner gave her the loving environment she’d been craving all these years, and even got her sterilized to prevent any setbacks in the future. Storie was not only surrounded by love, but she’d never have to go through such a horrible ordeal again.
Storie’s maternal instincts had quite an impact on Mariesa and Christ. Seeing her take such great care of her 12 puppies inspired them to help more dogs in her situation. Storie was finally in the best hands possible, and she would forever get the care and love she’d always wanted and deserved!
Thanks to the patience, understanding, and dedication of this amazing couple, Storie, along with her 12 pups got the forever homes they deserved. The couple hopes to continue raising awareness about shelters and dogs who are in desperate need of a loving family to take them in. They hope people will realize that adopting a pup can be 100 times more rewarding than simply buying from a breeder. If they wouldn’t have helped Storie, her fate would’ve been sealed.
If you’re thinking about adopting a new four-legged friend, consider paying your local shelter a visit. Animal shelters are overflowing with available dogs that need forever homes. Storie isn’t the only pup who’d been abandoned when her former owners couldn’t care for her anymore. She was lucky enough to have met this lovely couple who gave her their all and tried to ease her situation a little. But not every dog is as lucky as she is. There are many dogs, cats, and many other abandoned animals who are counting the days until they get a second chance at life. If you can’t adopt an animal, you could offer your time and efforts to your local animal shelters. You could donate food, clothing, money, or even spread the word and help bring awareness so that next time one of your friends decide to adopt a pet, they stop by their local shelter first!