When Mama Gladice arrived at Lancaster Animal Care Center in California, USA, she was still holding strong to protect her four puppies. Found wandering the streets, she was doing her best to feed them and keep them safe. Nobody really knew how long she'd been surviving like this.
For a week, the little family shared the same kennel. The puppies quickly caught visitors' attention. One by one, they were adopted. When the last crate closed behind the last puppy, Mama Gladice was left alone.
"She stopped moving, stopped smiling"
Without her puppies, Gladice gradually withdrew into herself. She slept most of the time, barely moved and showed no signs of joy. The noisy shelter environment seemed to weigh heavily on her. Day after day, she lost the spark she'd still had when she arrived.
"Gladice has always been quiet and a bit shy. But when her babies left, she completely changed. She spent her days lying down, without wagging her tail," says a volunteer.
Faced with her grief and the shelter's overcrowding, her future quickly became uncertain. In overcrowded facilities, the quietest animals are often the first at risk. That's when a network of volunteers rallied to save her from the worst and give her a new chance.
A second chance thanks to a partner rescue
Thanks to this outpouring of support, Promise 4 Paws Rescue agreed to take her in. Gladice was able to leave the shelter for a calmer environment, where she's finally receiving the attention and care she needed.
Today, this gentle and sensitive dog is gradually regaining her confidence. Her eyes are brightening again, and she's discovering the tenderness of caring humans. She'll remain under the rescue's protection until a loving family comes to open their door to her in turn.
