A Puppy Palooza Story

We have a story to tell. It's about mama dogs, puppies, and some amazing humans. 

A few months ago, something started happening. We started getting lots of calls asking if we could take in pregnant mama dogs. But mamas and pups need to go into foster and stay there until their pups are about 8 weeks old. So we reached out to our foster families and asked for their help. And lucky for us, they stepped up.

This is Brandy.

Hi, I'm Brandy.

Brandy kicked off the recent wave of mamas. She was pretty pregnant when she came to us, and we weren't sure how many pups she was going to have. One of our awesome foster parents took her in, and we waited for pups to arrive.

Brandy wasn't the only one. She came in with a sister named Butters. Butters was also pregnant. 

Hi, I'm Butters.

Butters was placed with another foster, and the waiting game became more intense. The foster parents started sharing photos of the pregnant sisters, and our staff and other volunteers weighed in on a guessing game to see how many puppies each girl would have.

Brandy came first. 

Three pups! I can handle this.

"There are three!" Brandy's foster mom said. "That's great," we said, "but are you sure she's done?"

Oh no. What do I do with four of these?

"You're right," foster mama said. "I was premature. She ended up with four!" "I don't know," we said. "Maybe you should wait a little longer."

I am suddenly so much less excited than I was before.

Brandy concluded the evening with seven puppies in total. And we're pretty sure her foster mom lost a bet.

Butters, not to be outdone, came next. 

I deserve a rest.

Butters was slightly less ambitious, and only ended up with six puppies.

Thank you for not being #7.

And clearly, she was happy about those results.

But the puppy train wasn't over yet. 

Next came Nani. 

Hi, I'm Nani.

Nani's foster mom got Nani her very own pregnancy shoots. Yes, you read that right. She had a photoshoot.

I think I look pretty good, actually.

It wasn't long before Nani's pups came. 

She settled right in as a new mama.

I actually like these little things. They're cute.

Cue the "awwwww."

All the adorableness was throwing our staff in a frenzy. We waited with bated breath for the next batch of puppy photos to come through.

Puppies, or guinea pigs? You decide.

We noticed some of the mamas had a few quirks....

Mama Brandy: "I like them lined up like this. It helps me count them."

Week by week, the puppies continued to grow....

...until they started to look like actual puppies. (These are Butters' nuggets). At about 8 weeks old, the pups came to our Milpitas Animal Community Center for another round of vaccines, their spay/neuter surgeries, and of course, a photoshoot! They were put into adoption suites, and no surprise, were adopted almost immediately.

And so were their mamas!

After a long two months, these hardworking mamas all found forever homes. Now Brandy, Butters and Nani will get to be the babies - and spoiled endlessly.

You may be saying to yourself: this is a great story, and I love the puppy pics, but what's the point?

Yes, what is the point?

(These are two of Nani's babies).

The point is the common thread among all of them: Brandy, Butters and Nani were rescued and able to raise their puppies to be happy, healthy pups because of fosters. They each had dedicated foster families who stepped up when they needed them, and cared for them for weeks.

And we have good news! You, too, can help us save more moms and pups. Foster a mom (she does so much of the work!! Just look at those tired faces) and you'll be up to your ears in puppies. Dream. Come. True.

Keeping Up with HSSV

Keeping up with us and everything we're up to is starting to feel like Keeping Up with the Kardashians (except way more relevant to your life, and there are cute animals involved, and no weird made-up arguments for publicity...and ok maybe it's really nothing like that reality show after all). But you're in luck - we're here to give you the low-down on all the exciting things happening here!

And so we welcome you to this special episode of:

First up on our list - Tails & Ales is almost here! This fun, family and dog-friendly event is the perfect kickoff to get you excited for fall. Join us this Saturday, October 13 from 11am-4pm at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto! Buy your tickets here.

Featuring breweries like Lagunitas Brewing Company, wineries such as Hook & Ladder Winery, food trucks with a variety of different options, activities like face painting, t-shirt tie dye stations, tons of local vendors where you can shop and buy cool merch, and so much more - this event is sure to be a blast!

Dogs are welcome! Or, if you'd like, meet one of the many adoptable dogs we'll have onsite all day. See you there! 

Next up - we're celebrating OktoberFest in style - with a very special KatoberFest! Through 10/14, cats and kittens at each of our locations can be adopted for only $10. Get out those lederhosen, grab a mug of liquid gold, and adopt! 

And while we don't like to play favorites, those needing a nudge in the right direction for their new cat should look no further than Roxie. For the true cat lover, Roxie is the answer. She's sweet, sassy, and just a little bit nutty (you should see her climb a wall). She gets more height than a trapeze walker and would love to go home with some peeps who are in need of a job as professional wand-wavers.

Come on, swing that fake mouse. I'm ready.

More of a dog person? We have you covered. During our Dancing Chis promotion running through 10/14, you can name your own adoption price when you adopt your favorite dancing Chi (6 months and older)! Grab your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie, because our Chis are flossin'. 

Need some inspiration? Meet Bonnie and Clyde, our senior duo with tons of personality. Bonnie's a guru of all things fetch - she'll play for hours. Clyde is more of a guru in lounging and belly rubs, and will happily keep you company. Come meet these dancin' cuties!

And that's all, folks. We hope the recap of all things HSSV has you feeling excited to celebrate fall with us! Of course, you can always keep up with us and everything we're doing on our website, Facebook, and Instagram. Don't miss a thing!