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Lulu
The rescue world is full of stories of triumph and grace. Through this work we’ve come to know many dogs who have warmed our hearts as we’ve witnessed the strength of their will to survive and the blossoming of grace in their hearts as they learn to trust again with little regard of the abuse or neglect they have suffered at the hands and hearts of other humans.
Lulu is one of those dogs.
Lulu’s story is a heartwarming tale about a courageous mother who overcame her own limitations and pain out of overwhelming love for her pups and an inseverable sense of duty to ensure they survived regardless of their situation. Hers is also a story of trust, forgiveness and rediscovering her own playfulness.
Shelby County Animal Control in Alabama picked up Lulu off the streets in late April of 2011. Animal Control took her their shelter but upon realizing she was pregnant, took her to a local shelter in Hoover, Alabama. Lulu was treated for flea infestation but that was only the beginning of what we would later discover was one of many medical challenges she was working with.
Lulu delivered her puppies by c-section on April 25th. Four of the seven puppies survived. Did I mention Lulu only weighs eight pounds? She’s tiny yet tried to deliver seven puppies.
Amazing.
All American Dachshund Rescue (AADR) is committed to helping neglected and/or abandoned dachshunds. Our rescue dogs come from many sources including animal control shelters, puppy mills, breeders and families who surrender their pets. Our purpose is two fold: provide medical care to restore each rescue dog to perfect health and to find loving forever homes for each and every dog we rescue.
Members of AADR learned of Lulu’s plight a few days after she gave birth. We made immediate arrangements to get Lulu and her young family out of the shelter (not an ideal place to care for your newborn pups) and into one of our foster homes. Immediately upon seeing Lulu we noticed her ears were so swollen that they protruded from underneath her earflap. We immediately took her to our vet who declared it was the worst case of cauliflower ear they had ever seen. Additionally, we learned Lulu was totally blind in one eye and that her other eye had at best 70% vision.
 Lulu never complained or growled once in all of the poking and prodding that went along with assessing her physical state. She graciously allowed the vet to inspect her painfully swollen ears and perform a variety of tests so we could begin medical treatment for her ailments. The vet and shelter in Alabama hadn’t treated her for any of this. Having two children myself, I can only imagine the
pain and discomfort she must have felt while delivering and caring for her newborns while not able to neither hear nor see her surroundings. Fortunately, Lulu’s ear polyps were treated and regular cleaning of her ears keeps them under control. We don’t know if she has 100% of her hearing but we do know she does hear us and will respond to our calls for her.
Lulu was a phenomenal mother to her pups. She devoted all of her waking hours to feeding and caring for each of them. She guided and followed them around the back yard when it came time to let the pups explore the great outdoors. She would stand just far enough away to be on watch for any potential dangers yet give them enough space so they would develop self confidence as they began
to explore the world with their developing senses. She never shirked her duties and relied on our two male dachshunds that will typically help train any pups. Rather, she graciously accepted their help in keeping an eye on the pups in the yard but she never left them…not for one minute. Our family constantly stood in amazement as we watched her herd her puppies together near the basket that we used to carry them outside after a morning of play. Then, she would lay with them and nurse them until they all fell asleep on the grass.
 Lulu has also become a beloved member of our ‘home’ pack: our two dachshund boys named Hunter and Buddy. Our boys love her gentle nature. And when Lulu was feeling under the weather (she was on the verge of an ear infection but we didn’t know it at the time), both boys took turns laying with her and cleaning her ears. They were the ones who let us know Lulu wasn’t feeling well.
Our younger dog Buddy (two years old) is also the one who has taught Lulu how to play again. He was cautious at first. She had just said goodbye to her pups and was feeling a sense of loss. But Buddy continued to prod her to play and within a week or so, Lulu was making playful noises with
Buddy as he wagged his tail and crouched down and rolled over as if to say “Come play Lulu, let’s let loose a little bit”.
Lulu gets along with everyone. She adores my kids, doesn’t bark at strangers and gets on well with other dogs. She is trained to use a dog door and loves to be outside. She occasionally will have an accident inside but a routine of going outside at regular intervals will cure this issue. Lulu barks when
she’s hungry. Other than that, she’s pretty quiet.
Lulu loves to follow us around the house. If she loses track of us then she will stay on whatever carpet is close by (we have hardwood throughout our home so we have lots of carpets) and listen for you. Lulu is also a lap dog. She loves to be on our laps (or on a blanket placed close to us) while we work in our offices.
Lulu is waiting for her forever home. Please fill out an application if you would like to share in thelove and joy Lulu brings to this world.
And her legacy goes on in her puppies, beginning their journey thanks to the love and devotion of Lulu. You can read more about the puppies at their blog!
If you can't adopt and wish to sponser Lulu, you can contribute to her care and sponser her by clicking the donate button below
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