Karleh's Story: From A Mum In Need To A Family's New Beginning

When Karleh first came into Remote Animal Assistance's care, we knew she was pregnant.

What we didn't know was just how close she was to giving birth.

Just days after arriving safely into foster care, Karleh welcomed an incredible litter of 14 puppies.

Yes, fourteen.

It was an amazing moment, but it also changed everything.

Instead of boarding her scheduled flight to our rehoming partner, Animal Welfare League Queensland, Karleh would now spend the next eight weeks raising her puppies in foster care.

That meant providing food, bedding, veterinary care, vaccinations and transport for an entire family of dogs.

Every puppy was healthy, with birth weights ranging from just over 300 grams to nearly 500 grams. Tiny beginnings for fourteen little lives.

An Unexpected Setback

As the puppies grew, Karleh developed what initially appeared to be mastitis.

Her foster carer quickly noticed something wasn't right and sought veterinary advice.

At first, Karleh remained bright, happy and continued feeding her puppies, so she was started on antibiotics that were safe for nursing mothers.

Then everything changed.

Within hours, Karleh became seriously unwell.

Her temperature climbed above 40°C.

She stopped eating.

The infection rapidly progressed despite treatment.

She was rushed back to the veterinary hospital where she was admitted for intensive care.

Over the following days, veterinarians fought to save her.

The infection developed into severe abscesses that required surgical drainage, intensive antibiotics, pain relief and ongoing hospitalisation.

Although confronting to see, the treatment was exactly what Karleh needed to survive.

More Than $2,500 In Emergency Care

By the time Karleh was stable enough to return home, her veterinary treatment had exceeded $2,500.

Without immediate access to veterinary care, the outcome could have been very different.

Thankfully, Karleh responded well to treatment.

Under the care of her foster family and veterinary team, she slowly regained her appetite, her temperature returned to normal and the infection began to heal.

Best of all, she would never have to endure another litter.

A Happy Ending

While Karleh recovered, her puppies continued to thrive.

Before travelling, they experienced one final hurdle when coccidia, a common intestinal parasite in young puppies, was detected.

Fortunately it was identified early, treated promptly and every puppy recovered well.

Once they were healthy enough to travel, the puppies boarded their flight to Brisbane to continue their journey with Animal Welfare League Queensland, where they would receive any remaining veterinary care before finding loving forever homes.

Karleh's story reminds us that rescue doesn't end when an animal reaches safety.

Sometimes the biggest challenges happen afterwards.

From emergency veterinary treatment and foster care to transport, vaccinations and rehoming, every stage requires planning, expertise and the support of people who believe every animal deserves a chance.

Because of that support, one frightened mum and fourteen puppies were given exactly that.