Puppy love captures world's attention
Mar. 5—Sometimes there's nothing like adorable puppies to cheer you up.
That's especially been the case during the pandemic, when Grace Benson, founder of Laura's Hope Rescue in Hop Bottom, has provided a light in the darkness through videos of dogs in her care.
Benson started the rescue in 2009, and since last March, she's uploaded hundreds of videos that have been viewed and shared the world over.
"Look at our chaos in our word," she said. "For a lot of these people (watching), they were stuck home by themselves, especially the elderly, and they knew how to use the computer. And this one little old lady said, 'I don't know how I found you, but I am so grateful I did,' because no one was visiting her. ... I just think it's a place you can go and just watch puppies and just enjoy something positive."
She answers about 50 to 60 messages a day from people who tell her how much they appreciate what the rescue shares.
"I know that these lives are helping so many people," Benson said.
Most recently, a pregnant dog named Hope has captured the public's attention. Benson often rescues and rehomes pregnant dogs from the South who are scheduled to be euthanized, often because they're pregnant or because they're pit bull mixes. After a Virginia shelter reached out to her about Hope earlier this year, two Laura Hope's volunteers drove down and picked her up.
"(The shelter) had found her as a stray, and (she) was in pretty bad shape," Benson said. "The shelter didn't have the staff or the means to properly take care of her."
Emaciated, anemic and underweight, Hope gave birth to 10 puppies just a couple weeks later in early February. The rescue didn't share live videos of the birth like it normally would have because Hope was so old and sick, and it worried she might not make it, Benson said. But every time a puppy or two was born, they made sure to share the good news with the world.
Hope pulled through the birth, although one puppy was stillborn and another later died. The others went into foster care a few weeks after birth because nursing the puppies was wearing down Hope, who also tested positive for the tick-borne disease ehrlichiosis.
"They were literally killing her because she was so sick," Benson said.
Several people stepped up to foster the pups and feed them by bottle until they could move on to more solid food. The break gave Hope time to recover, with her bloodwork and lungs already showing signs of improvement, Benson said.
The rescue recently reunited Hope and her puppies, although Rosie, who was one of the litter's two runts, remains in foster care because she needs a little extra TLC, Benson said.
Benson described Hope as a treeing walker coonhound, but she also submitted Hope's DNA and that of her puppies for testing to further understand their heritage.
Benson believes Hope had been bred numerous times in her nine years, based on how deformed and saggy her nipples look. She probably won't be adopted, Benson said, but will instead move to a senior dog rescue, as Benson's veterinarian feels Hope will need ongoing care.
"It's been a real awesome experience to be able to help her," Benson said.
The puppies, meanwhile, likely will go up for adoption, although Benson will not entertain applications until the puppies make it through their vaccinations and spaying or neutering, which won't be for several months. Plus, she said, she already has nearly 100 approved applications from people interested in adopting from her rescue.
Benson said God has been good to Laura's Hope Rescue, as the local community and people worldwide have sent donations to support its efforts. The rescue holds monthly fundraisers, and people also can donate at its website, laurashoperescue.com. For more information, email laurashoperescue@gmail.com.
Contact the writer: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; @cheaneywest on Twitter
