http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1218228.htmlEsperanza was badly injured when she was hit by a car but she cared for her newborn puppies and a kitten. (CP)
EDMONTON — She was a young, homeless single mom trying to raise a family of five, but true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more.
Esperanza had been badly injured when she was hit by a car, but the young shepherd-cross with the thick white coat was still managing to care for her newborn puppies — and a kitten — when she was found on a central Alberta reserve.
Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog and couldn’t believe it when the canine led her to her blended brood.
"I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media outlet.
Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they’d have to amputate the mother dog’s bad leg.
But Dr. Milton Ness, volunteered to do a special surgery that saved Esperanza’s hind quarter.
He calls her a "special soul." Shawna Randolph at the humane society couldn’t agree more.
"She is such a sweet, sweet dog. She has such a wonderful personality," Randoph said.
"It’s amazing when you think about it. You have this dog who is just so giving of herself, caring for these newborn puppies and the kitten, making sure they were cared for even though she was obviously in a lot of pain."
Jacob the cat was already four months old and shouldn’t have been nursing at all, so humane society vets weaned him and he’s now being cared for by a staff member.
But he’s brought to the shelter every day to visit his adoptive mom and her babies. His canine step-siblings are too young to pay much attention to him — their eyes are barely open — but Esperanza is always excited to see Jacob and gives him lots of baths.
"He’s actually acting more like a dog than a cat," Randolph said. "Kittens are very rambunctious and playful, but he just wants to hang out. As soon as he gets to the dog family he’s . . . cuddling."
The devoted mother is recovering well. She and her pups will go into foster care after the holidays until permanent homes can be found for them.
