But that’s not all of the story. Then began the arduous work of nurturing them back to health. First, Karen had to take care of the pups by making them what they call a “puppy gruel,” which is a mixture of puppy formula and pâté style puppy food. This takes up three to four grueling hours. What’s more, “puppies at this stage are extremely messy eaters which requires cleaning their kennel after every feeding. All of the blankets need to be changed out with every feeding, so it creates a mountain of laundry. Fortunately, Snowbelle is an amazing momma who kept her puppies clean,” said the workers at Rosie’s Rescue.

Besides the puppies, Snowbelle had to be nurtured back to health as well. After a few days of safety and good nutrition, Snowbelle’s milk came back and she was able to start feeding her babies on her own. During her time there, “Snowbelle had to learn to trust people and how to, as we call it, be a pet.”