A mother dog usually gives birth to 6 to 7 puppies.
But Petunia was no ordinary dog. This girl is special in many ways, one of which is her 11 adorable children.
A 4-year-old Saint Bernard mix ended up in a foster program that gave her and her 11 pups a second chance at life. That’s not the only reason Petunia is so amazing.
This kind mother took in six orphaned puppies and proved once and for all that some animals have better souls than most people.
There are many mouths to feed.
mother dog littering
First there was one. Then came numbers 2, 3, 4… and finally 11. Petunia gave birth to 11 large puppies and couldn’t be more proud. The beautiful mother had so many children that she was so excited to witness the magic of motherhood. A few weeks before the big day, Petunia went out and had a terrible life. He didn’t think the odds would be in his favor. He prayed desperately for a miracle.
A wonderful couple from Minnesota was Stephanie Easley and her husband. The couple happily welcomed Petunia into their home, and her offspring were warmly welcomed. They knew that it was very likely that Petunia would give birth to 12 puppies. Their hopes were realized. Eleven babies made it home to Isley.
Petunia took it all like a champ! Her motherly instinct kicked in from the start and Stephanie clearly sensed that her baby didn’t need help. The dog is sitting next to a basket full of puppies
But just when I thought everything was going according to plan, the phone rang.
We are a Minnesota rescue group that wanted to ask Petunia’s owners a favor – No Dog Left Behind. Eisley was asked to take in six more puppies found in abandoned homes.
They were orphans. Their mother was nowhere to be seen. And without their mother’s love and care, they would starve.
“When they arrived, my husband rushed them home to see if Petunia would allow them to attach to her,” Petunia’s foster mom, Stephanie Easley, said. “Thankfully, she immediately started cleaning them without skipping a beat. There was absolutely no question that these six were now her babies as well.”
This superstar pup took in the orphans, and never, not for a second, thought of rejecting them. She knew what it felt like to be all alone. Petunia felt like it was her duty to step in and become their new mommy.
“She is showing zero signs of struggle. She truly is a saint. I know that people often say that humans could learn from dogs, but Petunia is able to love and accept with zero hesitation. She helped others in need even though it’ll be a burden on her. Imagine what the world would be like if humans could all do that.”
What can I say? Some dogs were simply born to be moms.
Petunia’s Litter Pupdate
Petunia, as well as her babies and the orphan pups, were blessed to end up with Stephanie Easley. She’s a huge dog lover and has been taking care of dogs that need foster care for a while.
And, let me tell you something: she’s doing such an incredible job!
Stephanie and her husband were helping Petunia as much as they could by supplementing the pups. Fortunately, soon enough, it was time to transition from mommy’s milk to actual food.
Let’s just say that sweet Petunia was not a fan of it. She’s one of those breastfeeding moms that finds absolute comfort and relaxation in nursing her little ones.
In fact, Petunia even tried stealing pups from other moms on one of the events they went to, called puppy socialization party. She would’ve taken them all if she had been allowed to. No kidding!
As if there weren’t already so many mouths to feed back at home.
Petunia turned out to be the ideal dog mommy.
Unfortunately, the time to say goodbye to her 17 puppies soon came.
Lucky for them, all puppies quickly found their furever families.
And, so did Petunia.
Stephanie actually met her a few months after the blended family went their separate ways, back in the fall of 2022.
She was still pawmazing, just the way Stephanie remembered her.
To this day, Petunia remains as one of the most incredible dogs Stephanie has ever met.
I gotta add: she’s definitely the most amazing dog mommy I ever saw in my life, and I saw lots and lots of them.
Petunia, the St. Bernard, is definitely a saint.
