Unexpected
They had been rescuing dogs for years now, and yet they have never seen anything like it ever before! When they welcomed Rosie into their home, she was heavily pregnant, but nothing could have prepared them for this.
As the litter began to appear, the couple looked confused. They had so many questions that needed answers, but they were sure of one thing: Rosie needed help, urgently.
Rosie The Dog
Rosie had been abandoned by her former owners in 2017. She was a beautiful golden retriever mix that was heavily pregnant.
The workers at the shelter felt anxious for Rosie and her pups. Resources at the shelter were scarce enough as is and they were unable to provide for them. The shelter was also so overcrowded that they did not want to subject Rosie to birthing her pups in a place like that. She needed help and she needed it fast.
Special Job
The manager understood that Rosie needed special care and felt that the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue would be perfect for the job. The North Carolina-based organization aims at taking care of golden retrievers and placing them in foster homes until they get adopted.
Thankfully, the organization was able to help, and they had the perfect family in mind for Rosie.
Examining Rosie
A kind volunteer from Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue came to collect Rosie the following morning. During the volunteer's assessment of Rosie, she discovered that there was a huge risk involved with transporting her as she might give birth before they reach a vet. However, Rosie needed help immediately so they took the risk.
Rosie made it safely to the Raleigh Vet clinic and the vet examined her. The vet stated that Rosie was in good health and they could proceed with the next step, to find Rosie an appropriate foster family to aid her in labor.
Fostering
Katie and John Black loved dogs, and they loved taking care of them. To put their passions into good use, they decided to start fostering dogs in 2009. They have fostered more than 20 dogs and thus, they were experienced enough to help Rosie with her birth.
Rosie joined the Black family five days after being abandoned at the shelter. However, no one could have predicted how things would turn out.
Cautious And Apprehensive
“This is our new foster, Rosie,” the Blacks wrote on Instagram, “who is very preggers and close to delivering her puppies.” The post received a lot of love and everyone online was excited to meet Rosie's puppies. Rosie was cautious and apprehensive at first, and who could blame her? She was in an unfamiliar environment with strangers, set to give birth to puppies. Although, Rosie did warm up to the Black's kindness with time.
The Blacks, on the other hand, would be treated to a surprise that would capture the entire internet when the big day of Rosie's labor arrived.
Labor
Rosie was treated like royalty by Kate and John. When she finally went into labor, her comfort was their first priority.
Thanks to their experience, the Blacks were able to navigate the difficulties that arose during Rosie's labor. One by one the puppies started to appear. Kate pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming because what she saw blew her mind...
More Surprises
The couple did everything in their power to make sure that Rosie was as comfortable as possible, but they could not believe their eyes when they saw her puppies!
They couldn't focus on the pups' appearance; instead, they had to ensure that Rosie maintained her vigor and gave birth to each youngster promptly. The Blacks expected a large litter because Rosie's belly was so big, but they were in for another surprise.
Less Than Expected
The Blacks double-checked that Rosie had delivered all of the puppies in her belly, as they were confused to see she only had four. Other canines her size typically gave birth to five or six puppies, but happily, they were all big and healthy.
Once Rosie delivered all of her puppies, Kate felt relief wash over her. She then went on social media to provide the update that baffled the internet.
Strange Puppies
“Our foster dog, a Golden mix, gave birth yesterday… To baby cows,” Kate posted with a smile on her face. The pups Rosie had given birth to looked nothing like her! They all had strange black spots covering their body.
Seizing the opportunity, the Blacks named the pups Clarabelle, Moo, Betsy, and Daisy. Rosie's "cow" puppies were a huge hit!
Internet Sensation
It wasn’t long before Kate’s social media account blew up with messages and jokes about the strange, spotted creatures.
“My dad laughed for quite a while at the photos,” Kate told the Press Association. It was clear that the father of the pups wasn’t a golden retriever like Rosie. But then, just what was he?
A Mystery
There are many dog breeds that have white fur and black spots. And social media users loved the mystery as everyone tried to guess what he was.
Some were sure that Rosie had fallen in love with a Dalmation, others suggested the dad had been an English setter. There was no shortage of theories as everyone got in on the guessing game. So, who was right?
Guessing Game
While there are many breeds with white fur and black spots, one candidate seems more likely than the rest.
Only dalmatians have true “spots.” Dogs with other markings have what is known as “ticking” - their markings are made up of small, isolated areas of tiny dots. Meanwhile, Rosie’s family photo was spreading like wildfire.
Rosie’s Expression
It was Kate’s dad who suggested that Kate post the photos of the puppies on Reddit - he had a feeling that they would go viral, and he was right. Rosie and her babies blew up the internet!
What made the photos even funnier was the fact that Rosie looked just as perplexed by her puppies as everyone else!
Online Celebrity
More than 90,000 users liked the photo, and 1,600 users commented. And when Kate shared the photo on Instagram, the couple’s popularity skyrocketed.
“I believe there’s been a mixpup here,” one Reddit user wrote. Others commented on Rosie’s comical expression, saying that she looked like she was defending her choices:: “so what?!?! is that really such a big deal? are you sooo closed minded?” Other commenters, however, weren’t so positive.
Backlash
Of course, as with most viral stories, there were a few haters. Although most people who saw the photos of Rosie’s “cow” pups were positive about the situation, others accused Kate and John of allowing their foster rescue dogs to breed.
In the Blacks defense, Rosie was already pregnant when they took her in. After receiving hateful comments, Katie was careful to specify that they hadn’t allowed Rosie to get pregnant.
Unwanted Litters
Kate clarified that they had received Rosie already pregnant. “We weren’t going to abort her puppies,” she commented. “She will be spayed immediately when she can be.”
It’s unfortunate that Rosie had gotten pregnant in the first place. While Kate and John didn’t want her litter to contribute to the number of unwanted dogs in the world, they had to do the best they could for them. Meanwhile, Rosie’s recovery wasn’t going as planned.
Infection
Although the birth was successful, Rosie’s health began to decline. After she delivered her litter, the Blacks realized that she had an infection.
Rosie suffered from Metritis - a bacterial infection in her uterus - caused by having a difficult birth. The vet prescribed antibiotics for several weeks while the Blacks looked after the pups.
Healing
Fortunately, Rosie’s infection cleared up and she could finally feed her puppies herself. In no time, she had returned to health settled right in - happy to be a mom and care for her puppies.
Rosie was a good mother, too. She was protective of her pups, following them around wherever they went. As the pups grew up, they stopped resembling cows.
Growing Up
In two weeks, the puppies had opened their eyes, and Kate and John were falling more in love with them by the second. Soon, they were tearing around the garden on their shaky little legs.
Rosie appeared content to be a lovingly devoted mother to her babies. Soon, requests to adopt them came flooding into the rescue center.
A Good Mom
Rosie was an exceptional mom to all her pups. She loved licking them from head to toe and nursing them.
Kate and John looked on with devotion, this mama had been through so much and now she could breathe easy as she was in complete safety. But still, all the pups needed to find homes!
Attached
Although the couple was extremely attached to all the puppies, they decided not to keep any, of them.
One by one, when they were 10 weeks old, they were taken by their new families to their new homes, where they continue to thrive. But what about their mother, Rosie?
Forever Home
Rosie has found her forever home, too. Soon after, a man read about Rosie’s incredible tale on Facebook, and he couldn’t wait to meet her. He fell in love with her immediately and took her into his home.
She has a happy life ahead of her now and has been sterilized to ensure that she never has to go through an ordeal like that again.
Loving Families
All of the baby “cows” have been adopted by loving families who will protect them and love them every single day. And Rosie?
She did too, but she didn’t leave to be with her new family until every last one of her pups had been adopted — seeing them off like the good mother that she is. if it wasn’t for amazing people like the Blacks, Rosie’s story would have been a lot worse.
Adopt, Don’t Shop
Rosie’s tale is just one of many, and thanks to a dedicated shelter and a couple’s love for the breed, she is sure to have a life of happiness.
Shelters need all the help they can get, so even if you are unable to adopt a rescue animal, you may be able to foster instead. If you are unable to foster, then you can donate, or even just help spread awareness about rescue organizations and the amazing animals waiting for forever homes there.