In that peaceful place of twilight sleep I heard the panting. Gracie (our Golden Retriever) was sitting next to me beside the bed as though looking to me for help. As I arose, I reached forward to cuddle her head in my hands and to rub her chin gently and lovingly. We made our way to the back door and she was off to do her thing. Her return was swift and her prancing and panting was intense. We had prepared a place near the back entrance that was cardboard and paper lined and covered by an old quilt. As Gracie so obediently laid there I could see the contractions starting. Instinctively, she began to lick at the fluid emerging from within and soon the first born male pup arrived on the scene. The sturdy pup quickly became vocal as he whined to instinctively find the source of his sustenance. By Noon, eight pups had been born. Number seven was dead on arrival. She was beautiful bundle, emerging rear first and seemingly frozen in her fetal position. I picked her up and pressed rhythmically on her chest. There was no response and she was “frozen” in her fetal pose. I laid her gently on a towel on the counter and watched to see if any movement would follow. None did. Soon, pup number eight arrived on the scene as a beautiful little female squealing to find her mother’s teat. A healthy litter of five males and two females now were engulfed around the belly of the beautiful and precious Mother Gracie. Filled with gratitude we offered prayers of thankfulness for the healthy seven and their exhausted mother. Holding either one of the precious brood ignites a spark of joy for the gift of new life.
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