It sounds like a storyline from an old Lassie episode, but a hero dog in Dallas lead rescuers to 10 abandoned puppies and their mother on March 10, 2015. During one of the coldest winters on record in Dallas a mother dog, Mona, and her 10 abandoned puppies were rescued thanks to the help of a stray Labrador mix who rescue workers have affectionately dubbed ‘Hero.’
For weeks an elusive male stray had been giving animal control officers a run for their money in a park located in the Dallas, TX area. Surprisingly, on that Tuesday he walked right up to them and began barking incessantly. The workers had been trying to round up strays in the park for quite some time, but nobody could get their hands on Hero.
Rescue workers that were familiar with the park were afraid that the dog may be sick or something may have happened to him. Hero still wouldn't come to them, but he kept on barking until two of the workers followed him. Every time they would get close to him, he would run ahead again and continue barking.
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The animal rescue workers said it was as if he was screaming at them to follow him, so that’s exactly what they did. They were led into a densely wooded area of the park, and they couldn't believe what they found.
They began to hear pups crying as they got closer, and they followed the sounds to a burned out tree. There they found ten shivering puppies and their exhausted mother huddled up together trying to stay warm.
Marina Tarashevsce, one of the rescue workers that followed Hero, said she had been working in the park over the last few weeks and had suspected that Mona was pregnant.
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She said the cries of the puppies were very faint and Mona was too exhausted to make any noise. Without the help of Hero she doesn't believe they ever would have found them.
The rescue workers took Hero, the puppies, and Mona to a local animal shelter where they were matched with a foster home. They say that it is possible that Hero is the father of the pups, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
The dogs will all be able to stay together until the puppies are old enough to leave their mother. The animal rescue group hopes to find suitable homes for all the puppies once they are weaned, and they are also trying to find a forever home that will adopt both Hero and Mona so they are able to stay together as well.
