Mama was an abandoned dog who spent 15 months living alone in the fields and orchards of a rural area in California. The first report about the poor puppy was in April 2019, and it was shared on social media. Cindy Kelly posted about Mama hanging out alone and said she had notified animal control.
In August, another social media post by Russell Buck Fletcher included photos of Mama. In the post, it was mentioned that animal control was also alerted.
In September, Michelle Fletcher Heart also posted about the poor lady pup, mentioning puppies in the field. She said she planned to return for the dog to secure her and find the other puppies.
By December, Danny Spanks from Safefurr Place Animal Rescue learned of Mama’s situation and did what was necessary. The first time Spanks saw Mama, she was inside a fenced solar panel enclosure. She slept under solar panels at night but would sit at a nearby corner during the day waiting for food from passers-by.
Mama would run away whenever someone tried to approach her for anything other than food. Spanks saw a pile of rubbish, including a mattress and box springs, and decided to improvise a shelter for her and make her a feeding station.
Spanks left her food daily and visited her every time.
He would sit ten yards away from Mama as she was still hesitant to be approached, but she was getting closer to Spanks daily. One day, the pup started jumping up and down and running about as if she wanted to play with Spanks. Shortly after, Mama was relocated to an orchard down the road. Spanks continued their routine, and Mama was getting closer even closer.
Mama already got used to the daily routine with Spanks and even added something to the routine- zoomies! Each day, she made more effort to get closer to her new friend, Spanks. She started sniffing Spanks and would even feed on the palms of his hands.
Mama was enjoying the time she spent with Spanks. She started following Spanks whenever he walked. She had no problem approaching Spanks, but Mama would hesitate whenever he moved towards her. But Spanks was patient with her, and he would sit still, waiting for Mama to come to him herself.
Spanks would bring a leash and play a game with Mama to steal the leash from him. “Steal the leash” became Mama’s favorite game.
Spanks made a makeshift dog house when rain was in the forecast. He used trash from the field to make Mama a place, and he would put some hotdogs and treats there.
Mama would wait for spanks day after day, at the same spot and time. Whenever Danny arrived, she approached. She would even follow his car as he drove.
After three months of visiting Mama daily, A Safefurr Place received a video of the pup from 14 months ago. The footage told so much and broke their hearts.
Mama appeared to have been abandoned in January 2019 at a gas station 5 miles away. It was evident in the video that Mama had been nursing her puppies when she was dumped.
Spanks and the team continue trying to secure Mama.
So many previous attempts to put her on a leash had failed, so Spanks had been desensitizing her to the leash. Spanks patiently waited for Mama to allow him to touch her; he knew his effort might go to waste if Mama reacted negatively to being leashed. It would also be dangerous for both of them.
In March 2020, the animal rescue received permission to put a large trap inside the orchard. The first step was to desensitize Mama to the trap. Initially, Mama was cautious about the trap, although it would pique her interest.
Spanks sat inside the trap and offered treats to Mama; it helped the pup get used to entering the trap until it became a routine. Spanks tried to place his hand on the trigger for the trap to close to see how Mama would respond, and Mama was still confident of staying inside the trap. It was time to secure Mama.
Friends from another rescue team, the Saving Strays K9 Search and Rescue, offered to assist Safefurr Place if the rescue attempt became difficult. Fifteen months after Mama was abandoned, on March 27, 2020, her final walk with Spanks at the orchard happened.
After their walk, they proceeded to the trap. Mama got in, and the door was shut. Mama panicked initially, but she quickly set herself to the ground. The team had to use a catchpole to guide her to a smaller trap. They finally could transport her and headed straight to Spanks’ house.
Mama is now in a better place; she may still adjust to her new environment and life, but Spanks is committed to being with her every step.
Source: A Safefurr Place Animal Rescue via YouTube
