Dogs have exceptional survival skills to withstand challenging environments. Cedar, an abandoned mama dog in Hockley County, Texas, proved this with her efforts to keep her newborn puppies safe by digging a tunnel.
Cedar gave birth to her precious litter in mid-February 2021, just before a polar vortex hit. First, she dug a four 1/2-foot-deep tunnel to protect her offspring from both the cold and predators. She then built a second curving tunnel 20 feet long.
Dogs dig for reasons other than enjoyment. While this vast tunnel would keep the family warm, Mama Cedar and her newborn puppies would still require nutrients that the tunnel couldn’t provide.
Sallie Morris, the owner of the Morris Safe House in the South Plains, received a tip in late February about an emaciated dog along the tree line on her property. Morris immediately walked down to the tree line with food. Cedar ran along the sandy path towards her, apparently unconcerned by humans.
Morris returned to Cedar day after day, carrying food and speaking with her to gain her trust. One morning, Morris heard the cries of a 4-6-week-old puppy. After some resistance from a protecting Cedar, Morris carried the newborn puppy back to the Safe House for possible treatment.
Cedar quickly signals Morris that she was carrying three more puppies. Unfortunately, they were most likely still in the hole she had dug for them. The tunnel, however, served its purpose, and rescuers were unable to find the surviving puppies.
Despite the presence of one puppy named Mackey in the Safe House, there were three additional puppies needing rescue. Fortunately, after a few days, Morris finally gained Cedar’s trust and persuaded the senior canine to go with her. Cedar and Mackey were reunited as soon as Cedar arrived at the Safe House.
Dustee, Timber, and Faviana, the three surviving puppies, were eventually rescued after much effort and patience. All four of them are now safe at Morris Safe House with their mother. The Morris Safe House board even contacted local plumbers to have cameras scout the tunnel for any remaining pups.
Hopefully, this small family will never have to face terrible weather and starvation again. Mama Cedar, thankfully, devised a plan to keep them all safe until help arrived.
All photos courtesy of @morrissafehouse/Facebook
