Roux spent some time on the streets, we do not know how she came to be a heartworm positive dog, giving birth in a county shelter, infested with ticks, hookworms, roundworms and fleas but somehow she survived long enough to give birth to 10 beautiful puppies. I heard about this poor dog and pups while volunteering in Louisiana for a pit bull rescue. That rescue was full and I felt drawn to help this poor momma and her 2 day old pups, knowing that if someone didn't step up this entire family faced euthanization very soon. I ended my trip a day early and got on the road. It was a 4.5 hour drive from Maurepas, LA to Bossier City Animal Control and I had a lot of time to think, I had just signed on to take 11 dogs who I had never met cross county to Michigan in a small rental car! When I met Roux she was a walking bag of bones, timid and so worried about where her babies were going, she didn't take her eyes off them once! She stayed with them in the half crate I set up and I had a very hard time getting her to leave her babies for potty breaks. When she did surrender to the roadside park anyone watching was struck with horror at her appearance and I've never been looked at with such disdain in my entire life, people thought I had done this to her! After a long day on the road I decided to settle into a motel for the night, Roux needed to rest and so did I, it took another long 2 hours of driving to find a pet friendly hotel. After getting this little family all settled in and getting some rest myself I was woken at 4:30 a.m. by a cold nose on my forehead, it was Roux, potty time! When we came back in I got to meet the real Roux, I had earned her trust and she climbed into bed with me for the next hour. I was so happy more sleep was out of the question. I petted her and talked to her and saw her eyes light up like she had totally forgotten how great companionship and love can be. I promised her that from here on this family would be safe and happy! Our second day on the road was great, Roux left her babies every few hours to come visit me in the passenger seat; she stuck her nose out of the window and just enjoyed being a loved dog. We shared meals and stopped frequently to stretch our legs and paws. We arrived in Michigan that evening and I entrusted Roux and pups to my most dedicated and trusted foster family where she is being loved and spoiled as I type this. The next day I took the entire family to our vet where tragically we learned that Roux has an advanced heartworm infection, she will need treatment as soon as possible, but not before the puppies as weaned. Roux's poor body condition is also an urgent concern, we have to keep these puppies fed but Roux cannot afford to lose much more body weight, she has no more to give. Roux is fighting so hard to feed her babies, she is so devoted to them but she is weak, she moves slowly and sleeps a lot. She is being treated with Panacur to get rid of the other multiple parasites she picked up but it's not enough, we have to treat her heartworm soon. Our vet would like to see the babies make it to at least 3 weeks before attempting to wean them so Roux is on the best food possible and we are going to help her any way we can. I wish everyone could have a chance to meet this sweet girl, despite being mistreated by humans (her eye was likely damaged due to abuse) she still chose to trust me and her foster family. I am here asking for help in keeping my promise to Roux and her babies, we will need help to get her the medical care she needs, her heartworm treatment is going to be expensive and her puppies are going to need treatment for their parasites as well, which will be a very lengthy and costly process. Our rescue operates on donations and we are 100% volunteer staffed, every penny donated here goes to our vet. Your donations are tax deductable as Saving Argo Dog Rescue is a 501c3 charity. Donations can also be made directly to our vet Kelley's Animal Clinic 616-453-7422. Thank you in advance for your love and support. Roux is a very special girl, I visit her daily and spend time reminding her that she is loved; it is such a miracle that she can still trust people. I am so anxious for the day that Roux can be a healthy, well fed looking dog without a care in the world and she and her pups can finally have forever homes of their own.