Mom Dog Tries To Comfort Her Scared Son At Busy Shelter

"They're inseparable ... he leans into her, and tucks his head underneath hers" ❤

Dino was terrified of every sight, sound and smell he experienced at the shelter — but thankfully, he had his mom, Sookie, in the same kennel. He nuzzled into her, and seemed extremely comforted by her presence.

“They’re inseparable,” Edi Kelley, director of Paws Crossed Dog Rescue, told The Dodo. “It’s a very sweet relationship, and it’s a very dependent relationship.”

Dog nuzzling into another dog for comfort
Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

Earlier this month, Dino and Sookie were picked up as strays in Monroeville, Alabama, and taken to a busy county shelter.

“People had seen the dogs running around,” Kelley said. “They were starving to death, and some people said they were afraid of them, which makes no sense to me at all, so animal control came in and took them to the shelter.”

Bonded dogs sharing the same bed
Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

The shelter staff assumed the pair were mother and son based on Dino’s behavior.

“He’s much younger, and he doesn’t act like a dog who’s a mate — he acts like a dog who’s a child,” Kelley said. “He leans into her, and tucks his head underneath hers. He will not let her out of his sight, and he has to be touching her. If he is not physically touching her in some way, he is very stressed.”

Bonded dogs sharing a bed in a shelter kennel
Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

They also observed that Sookie was pregnant, and due to deliver her puppies any day. So when the staff prepared to close the shelter each night, they’d have to separate Dino from Sookie for safety reasons. But Dino found this unbearable.

“The young male dog howls and cries — it’s awful,” Kelley said. “He wears himself out for hours on end. As soon as they reunite them in the morning, he gets completely calm and relaxed. He likes to be at her side — he does not like being separated from her.”

Bonded dogs curled up in the same bed
Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

In general, Dino is scared of people, while his mother likes attention, and this probably makes Dino even more dependent on his mom.

“The mother dog is very socialized, so somewhere along the line, she’s had contact with people,” Kelley said. “She wags her tail and enjoys being pet. Dino is very skittish around people. He doesn’t show aggression, and he doesn’t growl or bear his teeth, but anytime a person comes to him, he hides under her. And he hasn’t been touched a lot — when you go to pet him, he recoils like he’s going to be hit.”

Bonded dogs sharing bed in shelter kennel
Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

Over the weekend, Sookie and Dino were moved to a foster home in the Paws Crossed Dog Rescue network, and Sookie finally had her puppies — 10 of them.

“She is doing well,” Kelley said. “The brother wants to get in cage with her, but she growls at him now with the pups in there, so he is crated right next to her.”

Mother dog with her newborn puppies
Sookie with a few of her newborn puppies | Paws Crossed Dog Rescue

The foster carer will keep Dino, Sookie and the puppies until the puppies are about 4 weeks old. Then the rescue group will start looking for homes for all of them. It’s everyone’s hope that Dino and Sookie find a home together.

“We always try and keep close relationships together,” Kelley said.

Mother dog with her newborn puppies
Paws Crossed Dog Rescue

Before the time comes for the dogs to go to their forever homes, the foster carer will be working with Dino to help him become more accustomed to people, which is an important step in helping Dino get adopted.

“They’ll really work with him, and help bring out his personality, and show him that people aren’t harmful,” Kelley said.

If you’re interested in adopting Dino and Sookie or any of the puppies, you can contact Paws Crossed Dog Rescue.