Labrador puppies facing death saved by Blue Cross
We couldn’t say no when we heard their story. There was no one else to help them.
At just four weeks old, three Labrador puppies had nowhere else to turn when their breeder could not pay for the veterinary treatment they needed.
The youngsters, just babies, were suffering from hernias, and the breeder faced having them euthanised because of the cost.
Fortunately, the trio had been taken to a private veterinary practice that runs a Blue Cross pet care clinic from its premises, and instead of putting the otherwise-healthy puppies to sleep, the breeder agreed to hand them over into the care of our rehoming team.
Hannah Wiltshire, Blue Cross Newport Rehoming Manager, said: “When we heard these three youngsters faced euthanasia if we didn’t step in to help, there was no question.
"Apart from their hernias, they are healthy and happy puppies with so much love to give and will make fantastic family pets.”
Each puppy had a type of hernia that can be easily treated with surgery and can take place at the same time they are neutered.
We named the puppies – all boys – Podrick, Gendry and Samwell, after some of the bravest characters from the Game of Thrones smash hit TV series.
As well as looking after the boys during the day while on duty at our Newport centre, Blue Cross Animal Welfare Assistant, Carys Curwood, agreed to foster the trio and took them to her home at the end of each day. Puppies so young need constant care, and these cheeky chaps also needed a watchful eye on them as they enjoyed getting into mischief!
Carys said: “When puppies leave their mother too early they can often miss out on learning vital life skills from her, so when pups come into our care it’s up to us to give them as close to that education as we can; whether that’s meeting lots of different people, experiencing the sounds and smells of home, or being introduced to other animals.
“A lot of it is through play, and they wanted to play all the time. They loved my cat and they wanted to play with him too. And they raced up and down the garden with my German shepherd, which was quite a funny sight as they were so small and he is really big!”
Under our guidance and because the three of them had each other to learn from, the puppies grew into confident and happy young dogs.
Once the puppies reached eight weeks old, they each went off to begin their new lives as much-loved family members. Had Blue Cross not been there to take a chance on them, their lives would have been cut short before they had even begun.
