80. Sick Mother Dachshund Gets Help From a Cat

Miranda the dachshund, is one of 31 dogs recently taken away from a Union Grove dog hoarder. 27 dogs were discovered on March 25 crammed into dog carriers in a locked storage unit, covered in feces and without food or water.

Later their hoarder, Susan A. Ball of Union Grove, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, gave up four more dogs that she had in her home.

Many of the dogs in her possession were dehydrated and malnourished, including pregnant dachshund since named Miranda after the Sex and The City character by care staff. Ball was charged with four misdemeanors for her animal neglect.

At first staff thought Miranda’s unborn puppies were dead. But “Then somebody thought they felt some movement, and she got very sick” said Jody Halladay, the senior humane officer and animal services director at Countryside, 2706 Chicory Road.

On Monday night Dr. Tom Mano at Racine Veterinary Hospital, 5748 Taylor Ave., carried out a Caesarean section on the dachshund, and two female puppies survived.


But their sick mother was not well enough to care for them. That’s where Krissie the former stray cat stepped in to help.

Krissie had been brought to Countryside, then moved into a foster home with Jim and Joyce Bates of Mount Pleasant, who shelter dogs and cats for Countryside almost constantly.

Krissie was also pregnant. Her three kittens are now just over a week old.
And on Tuesday, the Bateses introduced Miranda’s two pups to Krissie.

The Bateses rubbed kittens against both puppies to give them the same scent. Then after placing the kittens back, they added the puppies.

Amazing! The heroic mother cat is now nursing her three kittens and Miranda’s two puppies.

But what about Miranda?

She is extremely underweight, debilitated in several ways and still undergoing the stress of birth. On Friday she was still extremely sick, not eating and only on intravenous fluids, said Liz Dahlstrom, the practice manager at the vet hospital.

But if Miranda recovers, the clinic’s staff may be reluctant to give her up to Countryside and adoption for a while, as they’re all very attached to her.

Dahlstrom said “When the dog came over here, everybody fell in love with her”.

Let’s hope Miranda pulls through. I get so angry when animals needlessly suffer like this.
Original story courtesy of journaltimes.com