Meet Maggie
Maggie is a beautiful Australian shepherd mix that has received a lot of attention. This Alberta, Canada canine has been plastered all over the internet and on nightly news shows across Canada.
Why? Because she was caught on camera doing something pretty incredible and completely adorable. She was committing her own jailbreak! This beautiful pup’s story is amazing, so keep reading and see why she needed to get out of her kennel!
Just A Short Stay
Maggie’s parents were headed out of town for a couple of nights and didn’t want to leave her at home. So they checked her into the Barkers Pet Motel and Grooming. This pet motel, located in St. Albert, Canada, was the place that a lot of people dropped their pups off at.
But the business was not just a pet motel; they often took in foster dogs as well. Once the pup had been checked in, she was taken to her room and made comfortable for her stay.
Recent Momma
Maggie was a little tired, and we assume she looked forward to a little downtime relaxing in silence. After all, the beautiful female shepherd had just weaned a litter of her own puppies a few weeks before her getaway.
This was one of the reasons her humans opted to place her in a kennel as they knew she would be a little depressed floating around her home without her little ones.
Put Up For Adoption
What happened to her babies? Well, the beautiful pup was put up for adoption just two weeks earlier. This process caused her to be separated from her litter. She had taken it well, but she still felt a little down.
Being in this state heightened her senses and often made her have moments of silence and sadness. But the couple knew being around other dogs, even if in a kennel, would help her.
Getting Everything Settled In
Maggie had settled into her kennel, and the owner of the pet motel, Sandi Aldred, had walked the kennels and made sure all her tenants were happy and settled in.
She was getting ready to take a short break to grab something to eat, so she wanted to make sure everyone would be okay for the time she would be away. She wasn’t too concerned because she had the kennels cameras attached to an app on her phone.
Taking A Break
So with everything settled, she stepped away to have dinner. Sandi headed out to meet her family and get a little downtime from the chores of the kennel.
Locking up, she wasn’t even aware that very soon she was going to witness something pretty amazing. So she hopped in her car and headed to dinner with her family.
Checking In On The Kennel
Though she was having quality time with her family, she knew she still needed to check in with her furry tenants. So after having some downtime and enjoying her meal, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
She swiped through her apps and pushed the icon for her security system. The image from the camera popped up, and she began checking in on the kennel. Running through the footage started out pretty normal.
Something Extraordinary
She ran through the footage, and all seemed pretty normal until she noticed that one of her tenants had managed to get out of her kennel. The beautiful female Australian shepherd mix, Maggie, had found a way out.
The pup moved around, looking in each kennel as if she was looking for something. She moved around the kennel doing this for a few minutes. Then it seemed she had found what she was looking for.
What Was She Looking For?
Sandi was completely baffled at what Maggie was looking for as she prowled around the pet motel. It could have been anything, but it was clear that the dog was pretty determined to find what she was looking for.
Watching the pup look frantically, it would seem through the building Sandi knew that she was going to need to wrap dinner up and get back to the office to help the dog get back into her kennel.
Wagging Her Tail
Sandi knew that it wasn’t that Maggie was afraid or having some sort of anxiety attack. How, you ask? As she looked at the video, she saw one telltale sign that eased her worry just a bit. What was that?
As she watched the dog move around the room, the fact her tail was wagging was very clear. This let Sandi know she was happy but determined to find her goal.
Laying In Front Of A Cage
Finally, Sandi watched as Maggie circled around the area in front of one kennel, and she knew what the dog had been looking for. The pup circled for a minute and then plopped down in front of one particular kennel.
She laid there for a minute, staring into the kennel and watching something inside. Then she turned around and laid down with her face towards the rest of the kennels as if guarding whatever was inside.
Nudging Something Through The Fence
After laying there for a few minutes, she turns back to the kennel she has seemingly claimed as her own and begins to stick her nose through the holes in the chain-link fence. She keeps nudging at something inside.
Along with the nudging of her nose, she was trying to stick her paw into the kennel. It seemed that she was desperate to get to whoever was in the cage.
Returning To The Scene
After watching the video for a few minutes sharing it with her family, Sandi got up from the table. Putting her jacket on and grabbing her personal items, she placed the phone back in her pocket and headed out.
It took her just a few minutes to get back to the kennel so that she could get Maggie back into her kennel. She fully intended to do that, but something would stop her from completing that task.
So Happy To See You
When Sandi got back to the kennel, Maggie was there to greet her at the door. She was very excited and wanted to show Sandi something. Sandi was surprised that Maggie did meet her at the door.
She realized that Maggie must have heard her as she opened the outside door and ran to the door. She was adamant that she wanted to show her something. So Sandi closed the door and started to follow her.
Walked To The Emergency
Maggie nuzzled and wrapped around the owner’s legs, trying to push her towards the kennel that she had been lying in front of on the video. It seemed to be an emergency to Maggie that Sandi came with her.
Sandi knew what was in the kennel and so she was not surprised that this dog was so enamored with what was inside. So she continued to follow the Australian shepherd mix.
It Seemed Urgent
One thing was very evident to Sandi, and that was that Maggie felt that this was an urgent emergency. She was very adamant that she needed to get into that kennel. And she wanted Sandi to think the same way.
Sandi may have felt like Maggie was walking her as fast and persistent that the dog was being. So as they rounded the corner of the kennels, Maggie moved quicker toward the kennel she had been nudging previously.
Then She Stopped
Waiting for Sandi to get to the kennel, Maggie sat in front of the kennel and began nudging the chain link fence again. She was slightly whimpering, trying to tell Sandi that she needed to get into the kennel now.
So Sandi moved to the kennel, already knowing what was in the cage and why Maggie felt she needed to be the tenant’s roommate. Sandi was concerned with what would happen next.
Her Emergency Was Revealed
Maggie had been trying her hardest to get in this kennel because within its chain-link walls were two precious puppies. Her motherly instincts and heightened sense had her things whimpering.
Hearing this, the recent momma dog worked her way out of her kennel and went on the hunt for the noises that tugged at her instincts. Once she found them, she wanted to do her thing.
But Why?
It makes sense if we think about it. Maggie had just weaned her litter and been separated from them. So when the new mom hears the puppies, she probably acted like a mother does when a human mother hears a baby in distress.
Listening to the sounds and probably smelling the puppies, Maggie flew into momma mode. This is why she found a way to get to them. So she managed to break out from her own kennel.
Foster Puppies
These puppies, Hannah and Kari, had come into Sandi’s pet motel just that day. They had been dropped off by the local animal rescue and were waiting to be chosen by some lucky person looking for a new puppy.
The pups were still very young, and their mother was not anywhere to be found. Even with the care of the staff, they still need the warmth and love only a mother can give them, and Maggie wanted to do that.
Alone & Scared
The puppies who were still very young were like most kids would be - scared. Being in an unfamiliar place without their mom, they began to cry, which drove Maggie to try to help them, which is what she was trying to do.
The small pups needed something to cuddle with so that they felt safe and secure. Unfortunately, the warm blankets and other things in the kennels were not enough.
Let The Momma In
Sandi could see that both Maggie and the puppies needed each other and so she opened up the kennel to let Maggie in. She watched, slightly worried that it might not be the right decision. But she was soon relieved to see that Maggie began doing her motherly duties.
The puppies reacted well to they were nuzzling each other, and then Maggie laid down. The puppies crawled up next to her, cuddling up and quieting down.
Excitement Abounds
It seemed that both Maggie and the puppies were so happy. Everyone’s tails were wagging, and there was enough activity to show Sandi that this was the right decision. Maggie was where she belonged.
It seemed that everyone was happy and at ease, and that is all anyone who loves animals and cares for them wants. It wasn’t long before the puppies had drifted off to sleep.
Fine You Can Stay
Sandi, coming to this conclusion, looked at Maggie and told her she could stay. It seemed like the right thing to do for both the momma dog and the orphaned puppies. The gate closed, and with the night ahead, the new temporary family seemed at peace.
So Sandi left them to do their thing and returned to her standard duties. But she was just so happy that this had all worked out and that even though Maggie escaped from her kennel, she was just trying to do the right thing.
Motherly Instincts
After all, Maggie had already had puppies, and once a female dog has a litter, their motherly instincts are present at all times.
Mother dogs have a heightened sense of everything, and that includes smell and hearing, which is how Maggie was able to hear the tiny cries of the puppies from the other kennel block.
She Needed Them Too!
But Maggie needed the puppies just as much as they needed her. She had weaned her litter early so that she could be put up for adoption. It seemed the puppies had the same thing happen to them.
Those emotions of having a litter were still there, and these puppies got to reap the benefits. On top of that, Maggie got to exert some of her pent-up feelings too. So it was a win-win situation.
Sure She Can’t Stay
The new and temporary family cuddled together all night. In the morning, the staff was so taken with the love that Maggie had shown these puppies that they thought why not ask to see if Maggie could stick around for a couple of days.
When Maggie’s parents returned, Sandi asked them just that question. But they had just adopted Maggie themselves and really wanted to spend some quality time with her. So, unfortunately, they weren’t willing to leave her there any longer.
Puppy Love
Before they took her home, though, Sandi wanted to show them how cute the situation was. So they were treated to seeing their dog in all her motherly glory. Sandi took them back and showed the three of the dogs all cuddled up.
Sandi also showed them the video footage. Their heartstrings were definitely plucked, and they were thankful their Maggie was so loving. But they wanted to get her back home.
Playful & Shy
Don’t worry about the puppies, though! The staff had fallen in love and had all decided that until they were adopted, they would treat them as their own. This meant the staff playing with them regularly.
It also meant that each of the staff would take the two pups home with them during the evenings. This way, they could give them the love they needed as Maggie had shown them.
Not Surprising Though!
All of this is not surprising, though, as we have said, mother dogs have a heightened sense of everything. There is, in fact, nothing about this situation that is surprisingly other than Maggie’s ability to escape from her kennel.
We are all glad that this pet motel had those cameras and that we were all treated to seeing this amazing dog and the immense amount of love she had for puppies that were not even hers.