‘Terrified’ mama dog came to shelter with 8 pups. Now, she gets second chance
A mama dog with eight puppies was “terrified” — and now, she gets a second chance.
After all of Polly’s pups were adopted from a Florida shelter, she finally has a home of her own.
“We continue to get amazing updates from her family on her progress,” Peyton Davis, marketing manager for the Humane Society of Pinellas, told McClatchy News in a June 16 email. “Her progress was slow in the beginning, but her family had been determined to never give up on her.”
The heartwarming adoption came after Polly landed at the shelter in March. At the time, she was “underweight, recovering from heartworms, and terrified,” the humane society wrote in its email and in a Facebook post.
“Polly was extremely timid and shy,” Davis wrote. “She took a while to warm up to new people. She was quite fearful of the world around her.”
Polly had arrived at the shelter with her eight puppies, who all bear names of toys: Barbie, Beyblade, Bratz, Furby, Game Boy, Hot Wheels, Lego and Tamagotchi. The babies were weaned, so they got ready to go to new homes.
“While her puppies were quickly adopted, Polly needed something more — time, patience, and a whole lot of love,” the animal organization wrote. “Our team never rushed her. We celebrated the tiniest milestones — like taking a few steps outside or sniffing a new friend.”
Then one day, a couple saw Polly on the shelter’s website and “felt a spark.” At the shelter, they were warned that Polly might be hesitant to come close, but the pair still wanted to meet her.
“Every step of the way, they let Polly take the lead,” Davis wrote. “They brought blankets and toys that smelled like them and their home to get her comfortable with their presence, even when they weren’t here. They brought her favorite treats, too!”
For weeks, the couple kept visiting the shelter to bond with Polly. Eventually the pair adopted her, kicking off their next chapter together on May 23.
“When Polly finally went home, our work didn’t end,” the shelter wrote. “We checked in regularly, helped troubleshoot routines, and celebrated alongside her new family as Polly bloomed. Because of this partnership, Polly nearly became a new dog — from frozen in fear to zoomies around the yard and snuggles at bedtime.”
The humane society is in Clearwater, west of Tampa.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 11:08 AM with the headline "‘Terrified’ mama dog came to shelter with 8 pups. Now, she gets second chance."
