Shannon Ackerman was having a hectic day, and her car was already packed with a mama husky dog and her two puppies that she’d rescued that very morning. The three dogs found themselves trapped in a drain pipe next to a busy highway. Now all three were safe in Ackerman’s car, so she decided to stop and fill her gas tank, pulling into a Texaco station in Missouri City, Texas.
Then something unexpected happened, and it was well…a little startling.
Image from The Dodo via Shannon Ackerman
“As soon as I started pumping gas, I felt something lick me on the back of my knee, which scared me,” said Ackerman, who frequently rescues dogs. “When I looked down, this sweet, sad German Shepherd, who appeared to have just had a litter, was looking up at me with a look on her face like ‘Can you please help me?’”
This Mama Dog Was Abandoned
Ackerman knew she’d have a bit of juggling to do to fit both mama dogs in the car, plus the two puppies, but she also hoped to find out where the German Shepherd dog came from.
“The gas station was pretty packed, so I asked really loudly, ‘Is this anyone’s dog? Did one of you dump this poor baby?” Ackerman said. “Of course, nobody said anything.”
Image by Whitney Hartman via The Dodo
The next step was to talk to the gas station owner, who told her he watched someone dump this poor dog and then speed off before he could catch up.
This mama dog cried and whined, desperate to get into Ackerman’s car.
But this just wasn’t going to work. There wasn’t enough room. Not only did she have the mama husky and her pups, but she also had dog traps and supplies.
“It just broke my heart,” Ackerman said.
But that didn’t mean she was planning to give up. Instead, she drove to the place where she’d just picked up the Huskies. She knew her friend Whitney Hartman, who also rescues dogs, was there.
“She told me there was a German Shepherd mom in the [gas station] parking lot, whining and trying to get into her car,” Hartman said. “Of course I couldn’t leave her there, so I drove over.”
As soon as Hartman opened her door, the beautiful dog, now named Mercy, jumped in.
“She jumped right in with no coaxing,” Hartman added. “She was so happy to be in the car.”
Image via The Dodo
Mercy probably knew she was safe now, so it’s no wonder she was happy to be in Hartman’s car. The women checked her for a microchip but weren’t surprised that she didn’t have one. She wore a dirty collar around her neck, but there were no ID tags.
“She was so sweet and smart,” Hartman said. “She kept nudging my hand to get love.”
Hartman gave Mercy a good meal and a comfy bed for the night, WeLoveAnimals reports. The next day they headed for a local foster home, Sauver Des Chiens, which specializes in caring for German Shepherds.
Image by Sauver Des Chiens
But this sweet mama dog still misses her puppies.
“She is doing well,” Courtney Manske, the group’s communications director told The Dodo. “She’s a love and a very sweet dog. But she’s still … looking for her puppies. She’s so confused.”
Sauver Des Chiens is searching for a good home for this beautiful, sweet dog. If you’d like to adopt Mercy, you can check this out.
It’s disgusting that someone dumped poor Mercy like they did. Pets are a responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly. They are to be loved, not thrown away when they become inconvenient. I’m glad Mercy is with kind people who will see her through this. It’s what this beautiful mama dog deserves.
Featured image by Sauver Des Chiens
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