At the end of May, a call came into the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) about a dog tied to a fence on a short leash. She was panting heavily, stuck in direct sunlight with no water. The outside temperature was 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Alarmed, AHS escalated the call and sent an investigator out immediately.
What the investigator found was even more distressing than expected.
The dog was tied to a chain-link fence, struggling to stand on a small strip of dirt to keep off the scorching pavement. The investigator could see she was nursing and that there must be puppies somewhere nearby. There were also brightly colored leopard print spots painted all over her body.
The dog was extremely friendly. “Even a friendly dog that is tethered or chained out sometimes will be defensive, because it’s a very vulnerable position for them to be in,” Ruthie Jesus, field manager at AHS, told The Dodo. “She was not like that.”
The investigator gave her water and placed a towel on the pavement, which measured 133 degrees Fahrenheit. Instantly, the dog gulped water and lay on the towel.
Police were able to locate the dog’s owner, who claimed they’d taken her in as a stray about a month earlier. Then they led the AHS investigator to the puppies.
Inside their home were nine puppies, barely 3 weeks old. They should have been close to their mother and able to nurse throughout the day. “So, at that point, the owner did make the decision that they were not able to care for [the dogs] appropriately moving forward,” Jesus said. “They chose to surrender [them] immediately.”
Once in AHS’ care, the dog, who is about 5 years old, and her babies went straight to Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital for evaluation. Veterinary staff used cold towels to cool her down. She needs to gain some weight so she can keep nursing her babies, but she will be OK.
Jesus is beyond grateful for the Good Samaritan who called AHS about the dog, whom the staff named Rainbow Brite and are calling her puppies Sprites. All 10 dogs are now in a comfortable foster home, where they’ll remain together until the puppies are at least 8 weeks old.
And those wild leopard spots? Jesus believes the former owner had those painted on Rainbow Brite purely for vanity. She’s not suffering any inflammation or irritation, so they’re just for show until they eventually fade away, hopefully taking the memory of this close call with them.
