When sweet Salem was surrendered by her former family in rural Mississippi, no one could have guessed the unexpected journey ahead of her.
Malnourished, covered in injuries, and suffering from multiple types of worms, Salem was in rough shape.
A concerned neighbor stepped in and contacted Happy Tails Canine Rescue, who wasted no time welcoming her into their care.
Their first priority: getting her to a vet and starting the long road to recovery.
Almost immediately after Salem’s story was shared online, hearts melted across the internet. Applications to adopt her flooded in.
“We agreed to let her be adopted — kind of a foster-to-adopt arrangement — while the rescue covered her spay and heartworm treatment,” said Christina Gómez, founder and director of Happy Tails Canine Rescue.
Salem found a loving home on October 26th, and her spay was scheduled for November 8th. But when the vet began the procedure, they made a stunning discovery.
“They called me and said, ‘She’s very pregnant — and due in 2 to 3 days,’” Gómez recalled.
Everyone was stunned. Salem hadn’t shown any signs of pregnancy. But the surprises didn’t stop there.
Salem wasn’t expecting a litter — she was carrying just one enormous puppy.
“It’s called a singleton pregnancy,” Gómez explained. “It’s rare, but it does happen. The puppy was literally taking up her entire uterus!”
Her adoptive family was shocked, but thankfully, relieved that only one puppy was on the way. They quickly agreed to foster the baby until she was ready for a home of her own.
Just a few days later, Salem gave birth to Astrid — a fluffy, chubby ball of cuteness, immediately dubbed the “polar bear puppy.”
“[She’s] basically the polar bear dog version of Moo Deng,” Gómez joked.
Though Salem’s family already has their hands full with two kids and two other pets, they’re making sure Astrid gets all the love and care she needs.
She’ll stay with her mom until she’s old enough to be adopted — and Happy Tails will make sure she finds the perfect forever home.
“She’s going to bring so much joy to the right family,” Gómez said. “Who wouldn’t want their very own polar bear pup?”
