A Mother's Love and a New Beginning
At Blue Mountain Humane Society, we have the privilege of witnessing the resilience and love animals show, even in challenging situations. Recently, we had the honor of caring for a mother husky named Lola and her nine newborn puppies. Their story is one of care, compassion, and the importance of partnerships between shelters.
Lola's arrival at our shelter was a turning point. Found abandoned and heavily pregnant, she was understandably anxious. Lola's concern for her puppies was evident from the start. She was protective, ensuring her little ones were safe and sound. Yet, her gentle nature shone through. “She is very sweet,” said Kodee Dawald, our Animal Care Specialist Supervisor. “She accepts head pets while her puppies are nursing.”
A few days after her arrival, Lola gave birth to nine healthy puppies. Our team worked to ensure they had everything they needed. From a warm and safe environment to regular health checks, every effort was made to support this new family. However, with the shelter at full capacity, we faced the challenge of finding the best long-term solution for Lola and her pups.
In situations like these, animal transfers become a vital part of our work. They allow us to ensure each animal receives the attention and care they need, especially when space is limited. BMHS Animal Care and Transfer Coordinator Cecilia Aguiar-Head reached out to our friends at the Spokane Humane Society, knowing they had the resources to continue providing excellent care for Lola and her puppies. Graciously, they welcomed this husky family with open arms, demonstrating the strength of collaboration in the animal welfare community.
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, Jane Hashimoto and Joe King, Lola and her puppies went on a smooth journey to their new temporary home. Traveling over 320 miles round trip, Jane and Joe’s commitment made the transfer possible. “Lola is a beautiful girl and a very attentive momma,” Jane noted after safely delivering the family to Spokane. “She traveled great in the car. Such a good pup and an excellent momma to her puppies.”
At Spokane Humane Society, the husky family received a warm welcome and were promptly moved into foster care, ensuring they could thrive in a home environment.
(Photo courtesy of Spokane Humane Society)
“When Blue Mountain Humane Society reached out to us, they were at full capacity and needed help,” shared the team at SHS. “They had taken in a beautiful mama dog named Lola after her microchip led to no response. We’re deeply grateful to Blue Mountain for stepping up and giving Lola a safe place to land. It truly takes a village to care for these precious animals who find themselves without a home ... Now, they’re all safe with us at Spokane Humane Society, on their way to a loving foster home. We absolutely love her and her babies!”
As we celebrate this successful transfer, we invite you to follow the journey of Lola and her puppies on Spokane Humane Society’s Facebook page. Their story, along with that of another recent rescue — a pregnant shepherd and her litter — highlights the importance of community and collaboration in animal welfare. We are grateful to our staff, volunteers, and partner shelters for their dedication and hard work.
We encourage our supporters to continue being part of our mission. Whether through volunteering, adopting, or donating, your involvement helps us create more happy endings for animals in need. Thank you for making stories like Lola's possible.
For more about Lola’s experiences, check out the diary entry written by one of our volunteers accompanying this post, which captures her imagined perspective on this eventful journey.
Lola, with her puppies, waits in the BMHS van to depart to Spokane.
Diary of Lola the husky
It has been an eventful week since my last journal entry! Just five days ago, I arrived at Blue Mountain Humane Society. Like many dogs, I’m always timid in a new environment, so it helped that the humans were understanding and very kind. Perhaps they were responding to my sweet temperament … or perhaps it was because they could tell that I was EXTREMELY pregnant and due to deliver a litter sometime soon.
In any case, I was made comfortable in a private suite where, during my first night at the shelter, I went into labor and the puppies arrived. Thanks to millions of years of canine evolution, I was able to manage the process independently. First thing the next morning, I presented the shelter staff with nine healthy infants!
Well. This set some things in motion. I began adjusting to motherhood (puppies are a lot of work!), and the animal care team scrambled to shoehorn all these new souls into an already crowded shelter. The humans were extremely busy: checking the health of each puppy, searching for a suitable foster home for the new family, and reaching out to other shelters who might be able to help.
Within a couple of days, my friend Cecelia found a Humane Society shelter in Spokane that was able to take me and the puppies. The next morning at 9:00, we loaded into a van and were driven to Spokane by a couple of volunteers. We all rode comfortably for three hours — the puppies alternating between sleeping and nursing — and we enjoyed a warm greeting from the shelter staff in Spokane. It turned out that these capable people had already arranged for foster care, so we were able to move quickly from a kennel environment into a calm and predictable home setting!
Reflecting on the whirlwind of the past five days, I’m grateful to the staff and volunteers who improvised so quickly, and also to the many donors whose generosity made this small miracle possible for me and my puppies. I will do my best to raise them well. I hope that each of them will be able to put as much love into the world as they have received this week.
-Lola
