Woodward Center helps provide miracle support for orphan mother canine and her 12 puppies

Helen Woodward Animal Center is celebrating a sweet Christmas story thanks to the kind assistance of celebrity and Woodward Center friend actress and author Alicia Silverstone. An orphan female terrier-blend, who had been seeking shelter at a Central California motel, had been rounded up and was listed for euthanasia.

A determined northbound trip by Woodward Center staff to rescue the canine provided a true surprise – 12 new puppies born within minutes of the staff’s arrival. The Woodward Center named the mama dog Noel, and her puppies were given names based on the Twelve Days of Christmas – Drummer, Piper, Lord, Lady, Maid, Swan, Goose, Ring, Calling Bird, French Hen, Turtle Dove and Partridge. All are doing well and basking in the miracles of the season, according to a news release.

On Dec. 11, Helen Woodward Animal Center President and CEO Mike Arms received a personal text from Silverstone, a lifelong animal rights advocate. Silverstone has worked with the Woodward Center on its annual Remember Me Thursday campaign and has reached out to the Woodward Center regarding two previous rescues. Silverstone’s text was earnest, desperate, and included a heartbreaking Facebook post. A San Bernadino shelter was struggling for space and was listing dogs set to be euthanized within 24 hours. A sad-faced, 3-year-old, pregnant female canine (they had named Keya) was next on the list.

Earlier that week, the female terrier-blend had attempted to shelter at a roadside motel, seeking a place to give birth. In a case of “no room at the inn,” an individual took her to an area animal control, hoping they could help. Unfortunately, the impacted shelter had no space for her either and it looked like she was doomed. Silverstone sent her plea to Arms and within hours, Helen Woodward Animal Center staff were on the road north for a miracle assist, the news release stated.

“Maybe the most incredible part of this story,” explained Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz in the news release, “is that we thought we were picking up one pregnant female. The San Bernadino shelter thought we were too. They literally said, ‘We’ll go get her’ and came back to say, ‘We can’t believe this! She had her puppies!’”

A stunning and unspoken reality, in the world of animal welfare, is the large number of pregnant females euthanized in shelter systems across the country. This tragic number is based on the time and expense it takes to get weaning puppies ready for adoption – time and finances impacted shelters simply do not have. Helen Woodward Animal Center is honored to be a part of accepting pregnant females and weaning puppies and kittens. The Woodward Center’s large foster base and generosity of its donors make these rescues possible, and Noel and her puppies are the type of happy-ending results the Woodward Center gets to be a part of, the news release stated.

“We have all been so grateful to be a part of Noel’s story,” continued Schulz in the news release. “These types of sweet miracles aren’t just good for the pets. They bring all of us the spirit of the season, as well.”

Noel, along with her puppies are currently in a foster home and under the Woodward Center veterinary team care and will be available for adoption in mid-February.

For more information on Noel and her family, or to donate to rescues like Noel’s, contact the Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117 ext. 1, visit www.animalcenter.org, or stop by the Woodward Center at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe.