I really need some advice.  Last night an customer of my hubby's (he fixes his car) asked me if I would like a Staffy bitch, owned by friends of his.  This poor girl is in whelp (apparently "keeps getting caught" by the lurcher dog this person owns).  How anyone can be so heartless as to give away a bitch in whelp!!   This has obviously happened before, although I don't know how many times!  I really want to get this poor girl out of what sounds an awful home, but even though I've had dogs for a long time, I have no experience with whelping bitches.  I can't just forget about her and have been up half the night worried sick about what to do!!  This person wants rid of the bitch before she whelps.  Will she be really stressed moving to a new home whilst in whelp, and am I the right person to take her on having no experience with whelping bitches???  I don't want her to be given away to just anyone and the owner obviously doesn't care who she goes to!
Any advice please!

Thanks,
Sarah.

Well good for you for thinking about this Sarah!

If you can give her a home whilst she whelps, you know you'd get the help you'd need on here - but what about your other dogs?   Could they accept her?   Do you have the facilities you'd need to raise a litter?  - some space where she aand her pups can feel secure?

Its a lot to take on!

Margot

Thanks for your reply Margot.
I know for sure that 3 of my dogs would be no problem whatsoever, but my youngest who is nearly 3, I'm not sure about.  I think he'd be OK, but until I tried this, I can't tell.  He's quite a "mummy's boy".
I have thought about where, if she does come to us, she would have her pups, and thought the spare bedroom would maybe be suitable.  We can make a pen in there and it would be warm and quiet for her and her pups.  Still a lot to think about.

Sarah.

Would it be possible to take her and have her spayed and the puppies aborted, or is she too far on? As you don't want to breed her and presumably don't really want a load of puppies when there are already so many unwanted puppies around, that might be worth considering?

Hi Lucy,
I don't know how far gone she is, but am presuming that these owners would not have had her scanned so she must be showing enough for them to know she's in pup, which I would think would be too late to abort the pups.
This is another dilemma, as there would be homes to be vetted for the pups, that is if anyone wanted SBT x lurcher pups!

Thanks,
Sarah.

I would have thought that although she will be stressed changing home especially whilst in whelp, she must be very stressed already living in a place like that and in the long run she is better off out of there.

if i were you i would either take her on, or find a placement that could do so.

by the way- sbt x lurchers are used as working dogs- lamping i think, i dont think finding homes would be a huge problem- might be if she has 10 though!

if you are willing to take her on- go to vets and ask a nurse to go through the welping process, and after care etc, goodluck to her and pups xxxx

I would take her for fear of her being mistreated, as Lokismum says we will all happily help you all the way through her whelping and the pups, and give you advice on how to set up your home to caiter for a mum and pups.

I would just want to get her away from this awful home for now, (how can anyone want to get rid of a bitch in whelp ) you can always pass her on to a good rescue or RSPCA unit if you feel it will be too much for you to handle you are taking on a lot. we are all here if you need us, but just get her out of there for now.

Thank-you all for your support.
Quick update.
I've been in touch with our local rescue charity who I used to foster for.  They are busy trying to sort something out as I speak.  I can't get hold of the owner just now, but will keep trying (I want this girl out of there!).
I'll keep you posted as soon as I know what's happening.

Sarah.

That is wonderful news, to be honest I was a little worried that perhaps she has not been given the best of care, the best foods, folic acid etc etc and possibly not even knowing the whelping date And then there is the worry if anything goes wrong, I'm pretty sure she would not have breeding insurance, everything may have run smoothly most of the time it does :-) and we would have helped you all the way.  But if it didn't it could have cost a pretty penny. :-( Perhaps having her spayed and the pups re-moved would have been a good option if you were to consider having her, though that in itself could cost anything upto £200, so it was a huge commitment either way.

Let's hope they can find her a great foster home, or permanent one even. Poor, poor girl.

Your a star for helping her. :-)  Keep us informed.

Another option could be to cull most of the litter at birth? Easier said than done when faced with the decision though, I'm sure! :-(

I'd get the RSPCA in to look a the male dog aswell.  You can bet if the female is not so good, the male won't be well looked after!

I hate these people, I really do!

Well done for helping her.  Even though it will be hard work (not that I know anything about it at all!), I'm sure it is worth it in the end.  Besides, you can really make sure that these pups go to a good home.  God knows where the last litters have gone!

Ohh LucyD I could never do that, not unless I had a pup born badly deformed.

When I was 10, I had to do it when I had a mouse, my mum was scared of them so she was kept in the barn in a fabulous wooden cage that my dad built, (my dad like them and had bought her for me) but a wild mouse chewed a hole in her cage and mated with her, when the babies were born my mum shut me in the barn with a bowl of water and told me to drown them.

I didn't want to but she said I could not come out until they were all dead, I cried and cried while I killed them all, it is the only bad experience of my childhood and I'll never forget it, I felt like a murderer and I felt guilty every time I looked at my mouse, it put me off being a vet for life, which is what I always wanted to be.

I don't think I could physically do that now though, not to anything that is healthy.

oh what a horrible experience for you, I couldnt imagine having to do that as a child - or now even, it must have been awful :(

I think my mum hoped the experience would make me get rid of my mouse, she was so scared of mice, but if anything it bonded me even closer to her, it was a good lesson for irresponsible breeding! My dad re-inforced her cage with chicken wire and she never had anymore babies. :-) In my house when you had an animal you took care of it in every way yourself, so I was the one that had to do it.

Good news!!

Staffy girl is now in foster care to have her pups.  Has settled in very well and is awaiting vets visit to try to get a better due date and make sure she and babies are OK!!
She has a wonderful (typical SBT) temperament and will stay in foster care until pups are weaned and then will be coming home to stay with me, get spayed and hopefully live a long and contented life with my gang!!

Thank-you all for you kind words of support.
Have a great New Year,
Sarah.

Oh, that is fantastic!!!!  So pleased you will have her afterwards, that is terrific.

Happy, Happy, New Year. :-)

Hi Sarah,

I somehow managed to miss this one earlier - Great Outcome :) :) :)  It had me on the edge of my seat!

You're a star and an angel of mercy to this poor bitch - I'm so glad you got to hear about her and that everything is so much more positive for this girl's future.  Good on you!

Have a very happy and exciting New Year!  Very best wishes from me and the Tervueren Terrors :D
Teri xxx 

Didn't see this until now -what a brilliant outcome Sarah!! So pleased to hear it!!

Oh my god what an awful thing to have to do Carrington!! Like I said, I'm sure it's far easier said than done, to cull healthy puppies just because the litter was unwanted, I think I'd have a lot of trouble doing it. I'm thrilled to hear she is now in foster care, hope all goes well. :-)

What fabulous news Sarah. How lucky she is to have you take her in, I'm sure she will have a wonderful life with you.