When Jigsaw arrived at Animal League America, she was nearly a puppy herself – pregnant, frightened and in urgent need of a safe place to have her babies. In overcrowded shelters with limited space and resources, pregnant animals are often the first at risk of euthanasia. Jigsaw needed somewhere she could be protected, cared for, and given the time she needed.
That is exactly what she found in our Sponsorship Nursery.
Jigsaw had originally been adopted from a rescue in Alabama, only to be surrendered soon afterward to the Oyster Bay Animal Shelter when her owner chose to no longer care for her. Jigsaw was pregnant and abandoned, but we stepped in.
At first, Jigsaw was extremely timid, though she remained gentle through every examination. Slowly, she began to open up. She started playing. She gave kisses. And she decided that, despite her size, she was absolutely a lap dog. And when Jigsaw finally became a mother to eight healthy puppies, “she was a great mom,” recalled Joanna Wagner, Animal League America Isolation & Rehab Manager. “Considering how scared she was, the fact that she never showed any fear aggression toward us was quite impressive. It just goes to show that she really wanted love and safety.”
As part of our Pet Sponsorship Program, the Sponsorship Nursery helps give vulnerable mothers like Jigsaw a safe place to deliver and care for their babies when they may have nowhere else to go. Your support of this vital program helps provide food, medical care, medications and attention that can make all the difference for a mother and her pups.
Because Jigsaw was given a chance, eight more lives have one, too.