Stray dog cares for homeless puppies looking for forever homes

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KSAZ) - A stray dog from a rural shelter in northern Arizona is being credited with not only raising her own litter, but two other litters of dogs, totaling 21 puppies. Now those puppies are looking for forever homes in the Valley. 

These puppies at the Arizona Animal Welfare League are happy, playful and healthy, but the beginning of their lives was bleak.

The stray puppies, from two separate litters, were taken in by a rural shelter in northern Arizona. Another stray dog, who just had puppies of her own, took over motherly duties for all the puppies.

"She would get up every couple of hours and move from litter to litter and keep them warm and fed them so they were always safe and healthy," said Michael Morefield with Arizona Animal Welfare League. 

The puppies are all doing well, despite the tough circumstances.

"It's extremely amazing," says Morefield. "There's always a very tough situation where puppies aren't strong enough or mom's aren't producing enough milk and sometimes the puppies in the litter just don't make it."

Now these puppies are ready to find their forever home, after getting a new lease on life from a very loving adopted mother. The puppies are expected to be put up for adoption sometime this coming week.