5 minutes reading‘
That fall night in April 2025 was the ultimate. He had made the decision not to receive any more cases. Lack of money and space has hampered rescue operations. But when? I received an alert about a pregnant dog left in a landfill From Ciudad Evita, something that forced her to undo it. “I felt certain beyond logic that it was… I couldn’t close the door“Laura Santa Cruz remembers.
While waiting for the dog to complete the journey from Ciudad Evita to her home in Haído, Laura prepared everything necessary for the birth. Towels, hot water bottles and a wooden playpen were waiting for the expectant mother. She scheduled ultrasounds, consulted a clinical veterinarian, and consumed videos of natural births. Nothing could go wrong. But life and nature had strange ways of rewriting plans.
Her due date has arrived, and Dulce’s waters haven’t broken, as she baptized the dog. That day at night his breathing became labored. After an agonizing wait early in the morning, Laura rushed her to a veterinary clinic. The ultrasound revealed the unexpected: “She has a uterine infection. She has to have emergency surgery. The children are unlikely to survive“, the vet told him.
He bade farewell to the dog with a kiss on the head and whispered in her ear that everything would be all right; I was shaking with nerves. While waiting, the urgency of Dulce’s life intersected with economic necessity, and the story spread on social media raising the cost of an unplanned caesarean section.
Dulcie, who was estimated to be two years old, emerged from surgery with a cardboard box containing six puppies.. Two of them didn’t make it the first night. The situation became complicated when, despite the efforts and assistance of a nearby veterinarian, Dulcie did not recognize or nurse the one who remained. Everything depended on Laura and Pablo, her partner, who were doing their best to move this fragile life forward.
However, the real battle has only just begun. Dulce was diagnosed with ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease. One of the most worrying factors is that in its initial stage, it is usually completely silent, making it very difficult to recognize symptoms. Once the bacteria enter a dog’s bloodstream, they invade and multiply in blood cells, especially white blood cells. This bacterial invasion and reproduction causes damage to the immune system and other tissues, leading to symptoms of the disease.
Weight loss, fatigue, lameness and anemia are some of the symptoms the animal shows. “The treatment of ehrlichia in a dog that has just given birth to a puppy is based, mainly, on giving an antibiotic such as doxycillin orally for at least a month. After that, supportive treatment is performed using intravenous fluid therapy to correct dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, if necessary,” details Patricia Paredes, a veterinarian at the Natural Life team (MP 7387).
But Dulce’s condition worsened until one Friday night, after an emergency visit by the guard, another obstacle arose that complicated the situation: Dulce was suffering from severe anemia.
The medical indication was constant: it was necessary to wean the babies and start treating the dog urgently. Without breast milk, it was difficult for babies to survive. “We came home, and I took the four remaining children, looked into her eyes, and promised Dulce through tears: I will take care of them as if they were my ownLaura said to the dog who had become her companion.
It began a journey of sleepless nights, bottle feeding every two hours (first by syringe, then by bottle), and almost daily visits to the vet for Dulcie. In addition to the ehrlichiosis, there was an infection in the stump of her uterus that had spread and taken one of her kidneys. Again: ultrasounds, tests, trips to the vet, and a new emergency operation to remove the kidney. “Meanwhile, I fell asleep in the kitchen, exhausted But pay attention to the clock. Thanks to the support of trans people like Nadia and Caro, who let me rest for a few nights, we were able to move forward.
Three months of emotional ups and downs, crying and laughter turned into triumph. Dulce regained her youth and vitality, and the four children grew up strong and healthy. “My phone is filled with memories of those puppies jumping around the kitchen. Today, everyone has the decent home they deserve. And I, once again, reaffirm my conviction: participation saves lives, people’s lives, and people’s lives.“.
I shared a story
If you have a story about adopting, rescuing, rehabilitating or helping an at-risk animal and want to tell their story, write to bestiariolanacion@gmail.com