A Pregnant Dog Was Giving Birth When An Unexpected “Visitor” Showed Up

It was a unique situation for everyone involved — and that’s putting it mildly. We’d be amazed if any other vet could claim to have gone through something similar! On that note, let’s dive into the details. It’s quite the story, folks.

As the staff at Veterinária Campo Grande in Cariacica, Brazil, were heading into the late afternoon in September 2021, all appeared to be well. Yet that soon changed when a figure appeared on their security cameras. With each passing second, it got closer to the facility’s front door, braving the sounds from the road.

It quickly became clear that this figure was a stray dog, but the animal’s motive for approaching the vet wasn’t so obvious. What was going on here? Perhaps the dog was looking for a place to crash as the evening closed in? She wouldn’t have been alone in that regard.

You see, dogs have a huge presence in Brazil. As per government figures from 2019, the nation had more than 50 million of them at the time. But lots of the pooches don’t have owners. While there isn’t a solid number in that respect, it’s believed that Brazil’s strays number at least in the hundreds of thousands and possibly in the millions.

Staggering stats, right? So, the mere sight of a stray wandering around on that day in September 2021 wouldn’t have been too unusual. Anyway, with the vet’s security cameras still rolling, the dog climbed the steps and eventually settled outside the building. She made herself comfortable next to the gates.

And that’s where the beautiful dog remained for the next half-an-hour or so. She showed no signs of moving. Talk about marking your territory! But as the minutes continued to pass, someone from inside the facility finally decided to investigate. Wouldn’t you be curious? The person in question was João Áureo Rodrigues de Oliveira.

João was one of the vets at the clinic, and he wanted to assess the dog’s condition. Was she sick? Injured? Or just a healthy animal chilling out away from the hustle and bustle of the streets? Well, the animal specialist soon realized that the stray was in fact pregnant. Very pregnant.

Much to João’s surprise, the dog was preparing to welcome her pups into the world just as he reached her. That’s amazing timing! With that in mind, the vet carefully lifted the pregnant pooch off the ground, before walking back into the clinic. He had some important work to do now.

You see, dog births aren’t always straightforward — problems can crop up, regardless of how careful the animal’s owners have been. So think of the potential perils for pregnant strays that don’t have that extra support! One of the most common issues they face is an ailment known as dystocia.

Now just to be clear, that isn’t the name of a scary disease or infection. Instead, it’s a blanket medical expression for moms who struggle during their labor due to an internal issue. When it comes to pregnant dogs, the website MedicAnimal outlines what some of those difficulties could be.

For instance, uterine inertia is said to spark dystocia in dogs. As the medical website states, “[It] occurs when the uterus is no longer able to contract... It can occur at any stage of labor and may be associated with uterine exhaustion.”

Aside from that, a dog’s pelvis can cause issues as well. Should that area of their body be too slight or slender, the pups might have trouble passing through. Sticking with puppies, their positioning is also a factor if their mom is to avoid dystocia. When they move into a lateral spot during delivery, she’ll struggle to push them out.

So like we said, things can get complicated. Imagine if João hadn’t gone outside when he did so in September 2021? The stray may well have encountered one of those problems with no one on hand to help her. What a horrible thought! And dystocia isn’t the only issue pregnant dogs potentially face.

Once a dog’s given birth, they could suffer from an ailment called eclampsia. It’s also referred to as “milk fever.” As per MedicAnimal, this comes about when the blood calcium content of the pooch’s body takes a dramatic dip. Constantly feeding their newborns puts them at high risk, and the symptoms can be quite noticeable.

To give you a few examples, the new mom may seem more anxious than usual after the birth. Alongside that, she could be finding it tough to stand up or maintain her balance. A high temperature’s another sign, while some dogs might start to suffer from muscle twitches. That’s not all, though.

In more severe cases, the dog could begin to breathe a lot more quickly than usual, as well as fall victim to seizures. Yikes. Should it ever get that bad, then they need help immediately — without it, there’s a good chance the pooch won’t survive. And blood loss is another post-birth problem to watch out for, too.

Going back to the dog outside Veterinária Campo Grande, who’s to say that she wouldn’t have suffered from those issues after an unassisted birth? That makes João’s intervention all the more important. At least she’d be in the right place for treatment. Yet now we can’t help but wonder: how did her labor go?

Well, after João brought the expectant mom inside, he and his colleagues helped her through the entire delivery. It might’ve been short notice, but they really stepped up. Thankfully, there were no complications to speak of, as she welcomed six gorgeous little puppies into the world. They were so cute!

Following the birth, the dog’s name came to light as well. She was called Amiga. That translates as “Friend” in English. How lovely! So, what happened from there? Simple — Veterinária Campo Grande’s Instagram page shared a post about the new mom in September 2021 that included a very important question.

The social media post read: “Can you help us find the family of this beautiful mommy who appeared at our vet’s door?” Along with that message, a montage of images was added, too, showing Amiga outside the clinic prior to the birth. And the response on Instagram was quite a sight.

Yes, the montage has earned close to 2,000 views at the time of writing. And the post itself has generated over 200 comments from social media users, with some lavishing praise on the work João and company did. One wrote, “Congratulations on the gesture, it was simply wonderful! May God bless your clinic and bring you endless clients.”

Another user concurred with that sentiment, before making an interesting point about Amiga’s actions. They wrote, “What love! Congratulations [to] Veterinária Campo Grande, this mom chose you to bring into the world the greatest love of a mother’s life!” It does make you wonder, right? Did the dog know that she’d picked the perfect spot to settle ahead of the birth?

Anyway, if the arrival of Amiga’s six pups signaled the end of this story, it’d still be pretty remarkable in its own right. But guess what, folks? There’s a twist on the way that’s sure to blow your mind. We’re still reeling from it ourselves! So, let’s head back to that dramatic afternoon in Cariacica.

During Amiga’s labor inside Veterinária Campo Grande, a second stray dog approached the building. What a weird coincidence. Surely it wasn’t another pregnant pooch? João and his colleagues really would’ve had their hands full if that was the case. In reality, it was a male dog. So, what did he want?

In truth, no one could tell at first. Much like Amiga, the dog just sat out front and didn’t appear to kick up a fuss. It was pretty odd. Yet as time went by, the staff came up with a stunning theory. They believed that the stray was purposefully hanging around in that spot.

Why? Well, the staff thought that the male dog might’ve been the dad of Amiga’s babies. Wow! Who saw that coming? Assuming that they were correct, he was showing a similar level of intelligence to his canine partner by knowing what was happening. He probably wouldn’t have been so calm otherwise.

This whole story’s an intriguing example of how smart dogs can be, especially in important situations. And Amiga and her “hubby” aren’t alone in that respect. You see, a few years before their tale unfolded, another one had emerged with some similarities. Ready to hear about it? Okay then.

Let’s set the scene. A pair of dog lovers named Mariesa and Chris opted to add another pooch to their family. The pair already had eight under their roof, so it was pretty crowded! Despite that, though, they headed to the nearby pound to pick out number nine, unaware of the drama that awaited.

Once the couple arrived, a pit bull captured Mariesa’s attention. Yes, as she and Chris took a seat, the dog walked over to her and rested on her leg. The animal’s name was Storie, and just like Amiga she was heavily pregnant. At the time, the staff believed six pups were due.

Keeping that in mind, Chris and Mariesa knew that they couldn’t make Storie and her babies permanent members of the family. After all, that’d take the number of dogs in their house to 15! Yet the pair didn’t want to leave her at the pound, so they opted to foster her.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. It didn’t take Mariesa or Chris long to notice that Storie should’ve had her pups by the time they met her. So why hadn’t she gone into labor? Due to those concerns, the couple drove their foster dog to an expert to have her checked over.

Yep, you’re reading that right. Apparently, canines can stop themselves from delivering their young if they don’t like the look of their surroundings. On that note, Mariesa and Chris then took Storie back to their home. And within a day, the 12 puppies were finally born. That’s unbelievable, wouldn’t you agree?

And it brings us back to Amiga’s story in 2021. Was she holding off having her six puppies until finding the ideal spot? The parallels between her and Storie are difficult to ignore. Anyway, what happened to the stray after all of the drama had subsided at Veterinária Campo Grande?

And it brings us back to Amiga’s story in 2021. Was she holding off having her six puppies until finding the ideal spot? The parallels between her and Storie are difficult to ignore. Anyway, what happened to the stray after all of the drama had subsided at Veterinária Campo Grande?

Well, a few weeks later, the clinic provided an update via Instagram. The post, which was shared in October 2021, included a message and a heartwarming snapshot of Amiga surrounded by her babies. The mom looked pretty tired in her bed — but wouldn’t you be, taking care of six small puppies?!

The post read: “Hi folks! Like every mom who just had her babies, our friend has been very busy. But she found some time to come here and thank you for the affection [you’ve shown]. We received beautiful words from so many people all over Brazil that we didn’t expect, and we keep each one in our hearts.”

“Amiga and her puppies are well, chubby, and are a joy to our whole team,” the post added. “Soon we will make them available for adoption, so that each one can have a beautiful family full of love. Thank you very much.” And since being shared, that message has earned hundreds of likes.

In addition to that, the vet’s social media post has garnered plenty of positive comments, too, with one in particular standing out. An Instagram user wrote, “What beautiful and blessed little beings. Congratulations to mommy for her cleverness and THANK YOU for the welcome, care, and attention [you gave them].”

We know what you’re thinking now, though — what happened to the “father?” The facility shared an update on him as well. Another Instagram post revealed: “We’re receiving many questions about the daddy of Amiga’s puppies. He’s with us at the clinic, too. He is neutered and will soon be available for adoption!” Maybe they’ll find a home together?