The sad reality is that most stray dogs are not sterilized and are lose on the streets free to procreate with other dogs at will. This unfortunately results in pregnant females forced to deliver their litters on the streets. While mothers in nature have excellent instincts this is not an ideal environment for them to raise their pups so they will often seek shelter near the residences’ of humans. They often seek crawl spaces under houses, drainage ditches or under porches to provide shelter for their babies. Finding a litter of puppies can be a tricky situation depending on if the mother is present or no where to be found.

If you find a stray litter and the mother is present, be careful. While she will appreciate your help and come to trust you in the long run she might initially show aggression in attempt to protect her pups. If she appears uninjured and healthy the best thing that you can do is provide minimal assistance and let her do her job. Avoid handling the litter or moving the puppies to another location. While it might be difficult for you to resist moving the new family, it is the best thing to do if there is no immediate danger in their current location.

Instead you can help by providing material goods. Try cutting out one side of a large cardboard box and filling it with blankets for the mother to use as a nest. Calmly deliver the nest to the mother directly beside her and she will instinctually move her family to the new location. You can also provide high quality food and fresh clean water. Other than that you should let her nurse and wean her puppies in peace until they are around 7 weeks of age. Over the first several weeks of bringing the mother food, water and shelter you will likely gain her trust and be able to move the pups when the time is right. Around 7 weeks you can move the mother and the pups to a safe secured location and begin looking for homes for them all. If this is too much responsibility contact your local ASPCA or Humane Society.

The course of action changes dramatically when there is no mother present. If you have observed the pups at several points during the day then chances are, something has happened to mom. In this case the pups will likely die without your help. If you are an inexperienced dog owner you should immediately contact the local animal authorities, ASPCA, Humane Society and so on so forth. If you are the kind of person who loves a challenge and has the time then you might consider rearing the pups yourself. This is not an ideal situation as the pups’ chances of survival decrease dramatically without their mom. You will need some help, but it is possible to successfully rear a litter of puppies.

You will need to feed the pups using a pet nursing kit (available for purchase at pet superstores) every few hours around the clock a minimum of 5 times daily to ensure their nutritional needs are met. You can purchase milk replacement formula like Esbilac or you can make your own with 1 can of evaporated milk, equal parts boiled water, 1 tablespoon of Karo syrup and an egg yolk, mixed well and brought to room temperature. You should always feed the pups as they lie on their stomachs’ and begin introducing semi-solid wet dog food at 4 weeks of age.

You will also need to provide a nest for your pups. Try setting up a box with enough blankets to create a temperature of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. You may remove blankets as they get a few weeks older, but you should always try to avoid handling them as much as possible to decrease their chances of becoming ill. Young pups mostly eat and sleep, but will defecate after feedings. You will have to stay on top of cleaning these messes to keep the environment clean and healthy. As the puppies get older you will need to stroke them and rub them to encourage grooming habits and increase socialization amongst each other. While this can be an extremely rewarding experience, remember that you are not an expert and you will need to seek proper medical care in the event that the puppies are not developing properly.

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