Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) is the beneficiary of the PBC BOGO during the month of June. For every collar or leash purchased from the I Am A Rescue or Support the Underdog collection, one will be donated to SAAP.

We chose SAAP as our inaugural recipient not only because of our close personal connection to them (we foster for SAAP), but also for the remarkable impact they have had in saving thousands of lives of deserving dogs and cats. To demonstrate SAAP's ability to quickly spring into action to save an animal's life, we're sharing a recent rescue story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It speaks to the core of SAAP's mission and community, and the "can do" attitude of its foster homes.

A woman was on a bike ride in Martin County, KY, when she noticed a bag, of what appeared to be puppies, in a creek. She rushed down to find the bag containing five newborn puppies, umbilical cords still attached, barely hanging on to life. Unfortunately several others had fallen out of the bag and drowned in the creek. Not knowing what to do with them, she brought them home and attempted to bottle feed, all the while networking for more help.

Love of Paws (LOP) saw the original post and quickly jumped into action.  The puppies needed help immediately and they had a nursing mother who had a litter of her own. They could at least get the pups some milk and buy some time until they found a permanent solution. The surrogate mom allowed the pups to feed while LOP began networking. Being based in a very rural area, they regularly worked with SAAP to get dogs into more populated areas with better chances of adoption. SAAP heard the story and knew they had to help but little did anyone know that the timing was just perfect.

Bacall with her one surviving pup, a little girl.

It just so happened that in the middle of the night and early that very morning, SAAP had a mama foster dog named Bacall deliver 4 stillborn babies and 1 sole survivor. It was a very sad night for them, but Bacall's distress was short lived as SAAP jumped to the call and had the remaining survivor "creek pups" transported. What were the chances that they had a mama dog full of milk that had lost most of her litter, but would she take to them? Luckily for the orphaned creek pups Mama Bacall took to them immediately.

A volunteer at Love of Paws rescue in Mt. Sterling, KY who works with SAAP and helped Bacall get to SAAP posted:

"The cycle of life amazes me. This morning Heather Hulak messaged me to say that Bacall the little dog that we sent up a couple months ago had delivered 4 stillborn puppies. Later she did have one live, but at the same time someone was finding 9 babies stuffed in a bag and thrown in the creek, and only five were saved. Bacall who was in so much distress about her babies this morning now has a new family to nurse and nurture. I know I say it often, but SAAP sure does help us all out when the going is rough. I feel so sorry for the mom whose pups were snatched away. Thank you Caroline Keefe Rollins for taking Bacall."

Bacall with her blended family - her daughter and the creek pups.

Our hearts ache for the poor mama dog whose puppies were collected up into a bag and left to perish. Fortunately,there are good people in this world who go out of their way to help - and can be the difference for animals in need. THANK YOU SAAP for giving these pups and Bacall and her daughter a bright future!

Support SAAP foster dogs by getting a collar and/or leash - and they'll get one of their very own! Click here to get started.