A mama dog named Nora spent most of her life trapped in a dirty cage and used for backyard breeding in a house in Manitoba, Canada.
Fortunately for her and several of her fellow canines, animal control officers saved her from the puppy mill and handed her over to Funds for Furry Friends, a charity based in Brandon, Manitoba. Nora was ten months old and about to give birth at the time of her rescue.
The rescuers could tell that the mama dog had a challenging life; she was pregnant, yet it was clear that she did not get all the nourishment her body desperately needed. She was skinny, her ribs sticking out of her skin.
The chains that bound her for nearly all her life left their mark not only on her neck but also on her heart. Nora was afraid of just about everything, never having seen the outside world.
A couple of days after animal control pulled Nora out of the puppy farm, she gave birth to five puppies. Sadly, one of them died, but the rest were healthy. Once Nora weaned her babies, the entire canine family went to their new homes.
Elizabeth Spence and her husband, who live in Winnipeg, adopted Nora. The Spences’ hearts broke when they saw how badly the pooch had been abused.
She’d crouch on the floor when they put their hands out, thinking they intended to hit her when what they wanted to do was pet her.
Elizabeth and her husband spoiled Nora with tons of affection, however, and she turned out to be the gentlest, most good-natured dog. She became fast friends with the Spences’ other dog and their three cats.
When Elizabeth gave birth, Nora joined the family in welcoming the tiny human. She’s particularly close to Archie, one of three Spence children, acting as a second mom to him.
Nora got to be a mother to her own offspring once more, however, when the owner of one of her pups called Elizabeth to say they’re giving up the dog, who’s called Remington.
The family drove six hours to hand Remi over to the Spences. Once they got there, Nora and her daughter started playing and being silly with one another. Everybody was surprised—it was as if the two pooches had never been apart!
When Remi got hit by a car one day, Nora went full mama dog and never left her daughter’s side for even a moment. She made sure Remi got all the care she needed to recuperate.
Elizabeth and her husband consider themselves lucky that they have a motley crew of rescue cats and dogs who are kind and friendly to one another and their human family.
None of them seek to establish dominance; instead, they delight in each other’s company and spend their days napping and frolicking around.
Image credit: wellettas on Instagram
