Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/kailani-hope-for-paws/

Life is hard for a dog on the streets, but it’s even harder when that dog is pregnant and something goes wrong.

That was the reality for a German Shepherd in Southern California. The dog was not doing well, and concerned citizens called a rescue organization to help. It seemed the stray mama dog had lost her only puppy and was in complete distress over it, refusing to let anyone near her.

When rescuers arrived, they were unable to help. The dog was too aggressive, so they left. Unsure what else to do, someone texted Hope For Paws to see if they could try to help the German Shepherd.

JoAnn Wiltz and Alex Babcock immediately drove to the rescue site and found the mama dog, crying over her baby and trying to bring it back to life. It was a heartbreaking sight and they knew they needed to get the dog into a better environment where she could heal from the trauma of life on the streets and losing her baby.

Alex used a hamburger to get closer to the dog, who they named Kailani, but she continued to bark and growl at him in between bites.

After a few attempts to get closer to Kailani, Alex decided to use a catchpole for the rescue, a tool he reserves for the most aggressive and dangerous of situations. Once she was secured with the catchpole, JoAnn was able to slip a gentle snare around the dog’s neck so they were able to move her in the direction they wanted.

It took a lot of time and patience, but Alex was insistent that they take things slowly and try to make Kailani as comfortable as possible.

Eventually, they were able to coax her into a crate and transport her in for a quick checkup. Their not sure what happened with Kailani’s pregnancy, but something wasn’t right. The only puppy she had passed away and was missing a leg and its face was deformed.

Despite the trauma Kailani went through, she was physically healthy. Alex got her settled into a room at the shelter where she could rest for the night. He decided to stay with her and work on winning her over.

For the first several hours, Kailani did nothing but cry. She was mourning her baby and was in a strange place with strange people. It was a lot to process, and the 9-month-old dog let it all out with whines and howls and barks.

After a few hours, the dog settled down and went to sleep. Alex ended up sleeping on the ground in the room with her and was pleasantly surprised when he was woken in the night by none other than Kailani, herself! The previously-aggressive and distraught dog had nuzzled up to him, ready for affection.

After that, Kailani really opened up to her rescuers and blossomed into a beautiful, playful puppy. She was transferred to the LA Animal Rescue and placed into a foster home.

At her foster home, they continued to work on her socialization and rehabilitation. The rescue on Facebook that “She is learning to simply enjoy life and not have any worries!”

All Kailani needs now is a forever home and family to call her own.

Watch her rescue and transformation in the video below:

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog