Driving through an orchard near Fresno, California, a man spotted something unusual along the roadside — a small, huddled family of dogs. As he slowed down, he realized the adult dog was a mother, standing protectively over seven tiny puppies.
He wanted to help, but there were too many to fit in his car, and the mama was too frightened to come near. Determined not to leave them without aid, he contacted Helga Weiss, president of Paw Squad 559 and co-founder of California Spay and Neuter. Before driving away, he marked their location on his phone and left food and water.
Weiss promised she’d be there first thing in the morning. But that night, she barely slept.
“All I could think about was the puppies and the poor mom trying to defend her children,” Weiss told The Dodo.
When she arrived at sunrise, a local ranch worker was already there — he had been feeding the little family for days, keeping them alive. But he also had heartbreaking news: a coyote had taken one of the puppies.
Mama dog was still on high alert, keeping her distance from strangers. Weiss spent two and a half hours sitting on the ground, offering sausages, and speaking gently. Finally, the mother’s guard came down.
“As soon as I picked her up and loaded her into my car, she started licking the tears off my face,” Weiss said. “It was adorable.”
Weiss knows the harsh reality of animal rescue — she receives more than 100 calls a day. The only long-term solution, she stresses, is spaying and neutering to prevent so many animals from ending up abandoned.
The little family — now safe — went to foster mom Christie West through Save-A-Mutt Rescue. But soon, West noticed the puppies weren’t acting quite right. A vet confirmed the worst: they had parvo, a deadly and highly contagious virus.
What followed was an all-hands-on-deck effort. Save-A-Mutt covered over $11,000 in treatment costs, while West cared for the pups around the clock. Against the odds — and thanks to a breakthrough parvo injection — every single puppy survived.
“The beautiful thing about it is they’re all alive,” West said. “They’re happy, they’re healthy. They’re just adorable.”
The mama, now named Mother Goose, and her fairy-tale–named puppies will soon travel to Washington, where Save-A-Mutt will help find them forever homes.
For West, the next month is about enjoying the simple joy of holding them — something she couldn’t do under strict parvo safety protocols.
“I’m going to be loving on them all weekend,” she said with a smile.
To support Paw Squad 559, you can donate here. To support Save-A-Mutt and learn more about adopting the dogs, you can check out their website here.
