Shady BE's - Puppies with Purpose

Having no experience with puppies I learned, through much trial and error, a routine to incorporate feedings, cleaning, play and sleep time.  It was a lot of work juggling around my normal life, but mixed with lots of love and fun.  They took over my walk-in shower.  In this photo it is clean and they are eating on their own for one of their first times.

And here's 10 minutes later... full bellies, bladders empty and snuggles for a warm nap.  Time to clean up again!

With some much needed help, outside time became very necessary.  They enjoyed the nature and fresh air.  I enjoyed quiet time for inside clean up and it also lessened the inside clean up later on.

Shadow became the head of the pack and a great big brother to them all.  He was so patient and gentle with them, and enjoyed the playtime. 

Puppies turned 8 weeks old and were scheduled for transport to New Jersey.  Here's their final ride with Shadow and me.  In the last few days of fostering them Black Eye and Shadow really bonded and I was guided to keep him.

 After a few weeks of fostering Shady BE, my heart broke when he began limping and whining in pain. Despite consulting several vets, the cause remained unclear without extensive tests, and his condition worsened. His pain grew so severe that he sometimes screamed. As a foster dog under the shelter's care, their limited resources left only one heartbreaking option: euthanasia. 

 I couldn’t let that happen. Without hesitation, I rushed him to Mississippi State University Veterinary School in Starkville MS, where he was admitted to ICU. His fever soared above 115°F, and his shoulder and elbow swelled alarmingly his second day there. 

Diagnosed with septic arthritis of unknown origin, he endured about 10 days in the ICU braving multiple surgical flushings, IVs for extreme pain and fever management and intense physical therapy.  The expenses from his total stay amounted to over $10,000.

We visited Big Dog Ranch Rescue (BDRR) in Shorter Alabama to tour their whelping and puppy buildings.  This is the outside of the building which we will be the inspiration for the floor plan as we plan the building stage.  BDRR has graciously offered to be a mentor to us as we move forward with this project. 

Hallway view showing the private whelping rooms.  This helps with the disease control.  Each room will have independent HVAC units to further assist with keeping a clean envrionment.

Each room has its own cleaning materials with special instructions and alerts by the door. Booties are warn when entering the building and additional ones are added if entering each room.  Each room is also equipped with a water hose cleaning and drainage system which can be seen in the next photo.

Here's a peek into one of the rooms with momma and puppies.  Accommodations will vary depending on the size of momma and puppies, as well as age and special needs.

Each room with have it's own enclosed outside area with a special drainage system and artificial turf for disease control and easy clean up.