“Papa came over and laid right in front of her” ❤️

When Gateway Pet Guardians received a complaint about a couple of stray canines living together in an abandoned house, they acted fast. A winter storm was approaching, and they wanted to bring the dogs safely into the rescue’s care as soon as possible. Sadly, the dogs were terrified and continued to flee from their rescuers. Both pups made it to safety after three days of being stranded in the middle of a storm — and that’s when their rescuers learned that one of the dogs in the couple was quite pregnant.

The couple was given the names Papa Memphis and Norma Jean by the rescuers. Even though they’d been nervous previously, both canines warmed up to their rescuers once they knew they were secure and were pleased to be out of the cold, where they could finally welcome their offspring in peace.

“They were both afraid at first,” Brittany Fleming, adoption and foster manager at Gateway Pet Guardians, told The Dodo. “But what’s quite wonderful with rescuing dogs like that is once you get them inside with you, they leave their survival mode, start to relax, and become ordinary dogs again.” “They both stopped being afraid and started loving and acting like any other dog.” Due to the severe weather, two of our employees stayed the night because the roads were too terrible for them to make it the next day. So they slept on an air mattress with Norma.”

After checking Norma Jean, it was evident that she was about to give birth to her puppies. The rescue decided to perform a maternity session with the pregnant mother before that day arrived, and even allowed Papa Memphis to join in.

Both dogs were ecstatic to be out of their kennels and spending time with their new best friends, and they immediately settled into the shoot, resting and posing and enjoying their time before the puppies arrived.

“During the photo shoot, Norma was comfy on the bed, and then Papa came over and laid directly in front of her,” Fleming explained. “It wasn’t staged in the least.” They loved it since they were able to go out of their kennels and relax in the room with me for a bit, as well as receive a variety of special treats. Norma took a nap as Papa pawed at me for pets.”

Norma Jean was all prepared to head to her foster home the next day once the session was complete and they’d captured loads of adorable images so she could have her babies away from the shelter — but the puppies had other ideas.

Norma Jean gave birth to her puppies the morning after the maternity shoot, and they all look exactly like their father, Papa Memphis.

Papa Memphis, Norma Jean, and their puppies have all been placed in foster homes and are doing well. Both Norma Jean and her babies will be available for adoption once she has finished nursing, and Papa Memphis is already available. Everyone at the rescue is overjoyed to see them all doing well and happy that the pregnant parents were rescued just in time.