Editor's note: Reader discretion is advised due to the morbid nature of this animal case.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Over the last weekend, a mother French Bulldog and her puppies were discovered in a wet cardboard box near Alexandria's Jones Point Park. After a person brought them to Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, the animal shelter knew the mother and puppies' medical needs were urgent.
Despite an emergency veterinary intervention, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said all of the newborn puppies have died. Momma, the mother dog, had emergency surgery and faces a recovery ahead. That's why the animal shelter is reaching out to the community for help with pets with urgent medical needs like Momma.
“Abandoning dogs leaves them open to prolonged suffering, from dehydration to starvation, to inhumane deaths, like being hit by a car or attacked by wildlife,” Erin Shackelford, a spokesperson for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, told Patch. “In the case of Momma, she was in no state to care for herself and her puppies even in the best environment, but there's no doubt that the trauma, stress and wet/cold conditions they endured didn't help Momma's health or the puppies' chances of survival.”
According to Shackelford, French Bulldogs usually do not breed naturally and need assisted births. Part of the emergency surgery on Momma involved removing a deceased puppy that had not been born. Some of the puppies had already died before arriving at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, and the remainder died over the next day.
“Now, our focus has wholly turned to Momma, who despite being underweight, anemic, and neglected for a long time, tried her absolute best to care for her pups,” Animal Welfare League of Alexandria director Stella Hanly said in a call for donations. “We can only assume that the person who was once responsible for Momma did not realize that it is very uncommon for French Bulldogs to be able to successfully give birth naturally, typically requiring C-sections due to their narrow hips and large heads.”
Shackelford said the animal shelter is hopeful Momma will completely recover and later be up for adoption. There is no current timeline due to the ongoing recovery, but the animal shelter expects it will take at least a few weeks.
Momma's recovery is being supported by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria's Sarah's Fund, which has funds for pets needing special medical attention.
“As most people probably know, emergency veterinary care can be expensive, so having this reserve is critical,” Shackelford said. “Sarah's Fund is totally supported by individual donors.”
The case of Momma and her puppies serves as a reminder for pet owners to seek humane alternatives to abandonment. In Alexandria, pet owners have access to various resources and tips for different challenges, from high costs to behavioral problems and moving.
The animal shelter has a Chunk & Buzz Earl-Ramirez Community Pet Pantry with pet food and other needed supplies to help with the financial burden of having a pet. Other resources include spay and neuter vouchers, short term crisis care, low and no-cost vaccination clinics, behavior and training support, grooming assistance and more.
For pet owners with no other options, the animal shelter will take pet surrenders from City of Alexandria residents and its adopters.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria doesn't encourage people to breed their animals. But if they do, the shelter recommends keeping an emergency fund and plan in case birthing complications come up.
