Astonished by what she saw, the vet stopped and looked at the ultrasound in front of her. She discovered after double-checking that what she saw was absolutely real. Even though she was stunned, she deemed it necessary to let the dog’s owners understand what was happening… It was the life of their beloved dog that was, after all, in danger.

Pregnant Dog Refuses To Give Birth, Then The Vet Sees Exactly Why
Time To Choose One
Chris and Mariesa have always wanted a dog for themselves to adopt. The responsibility involved was understood by them, and they went for it. Mariesa made a promise to only adopt one dog when they found the right shelter – a difficult task. All the dogs were begging to be selected, making her work even more difficult until her eyes fell on a special dog.

Time To Choose One
Belly Full Of Unborn Pups
The dog made contact with the couple’s eyes, and then little by little approached them. They observed that the dog was very pregnant before them, but the mother-to-be was gentle and loving and started licking her hands. Mariesa felt they were communicating, and she quickly understood that they were going to come home with this pit bull with a swollen belly. Suddenly, a shadow of doubt came over them, and what was that?

Belly Full Of Unborn Pups
Bred And Then Surrendered At The Shelter
Mariesa demanded to discover all she could about this dog that was about to become her responsibility for full-time. She soon learned that the dog had a name, Storie, and that she had a story, too. Storie did belong to the backyard breeders before she was dropped off at the shelter, who quickly found out they couldn’t manage to support their pregnant pit bull any longer.

Bred And Then Surrendered At The Shelter
A Loving Home
For Chris and Mariesa, it really was completely obvious that their newly adopted dog was in dire need of affection, care, and a safe environment for her litter to be born. It broke the heart of the couple to see Storie being disregarded and unappreciated. But then when they did think it was all looking up for a pregnant pit bull, the veterinarian had something to tell them.

A Loving Home
Fans Of Pit Bulls
Due to those breeders who have transformed them into fighting machines, pit bulls have gained a poor reputation. Actually, Mariesa and Chris had such a special fondness for pit bulls, so it would not be the first time one was adopted. A good bunch of them have already been adopted, as you can see below.

Fans Of Pit Bulls
“Megabed”
As you can envision, possessing so many beds implies that you must be able to put all of them to sleep somewhere. Then, of course, some folks adore to have their dogs in their bed with them, which is why this pair made the decision to get a 14-foot-long, 7-foot-wide “megabed” Chris clarified when speaking to TODAY: “At nighttime, all of the dogs want to sleep on the bed and sometimes it becomes too cluttered, and we end up being pushed off of the bed or sleeping on the couch. So we built the megabed.”

“Megabed”
Misunderstood
The two of them came to know that pit bulls seem to have been dogs that were misinterpreted, and thus often neglected. This has become part of the root that made them embrace more pit bulls. While they had a significant amount of dog experience, nothing has ever prepared them for what was about to happen.

Misunderstood
Loving Parents To Many Dogs
Chris and Mariesa were fully dedicated to creating a safe haven for dogs in need. They do anything and everything they can to save these sweet pups lives. Chris and Mariesa share this value.

Loving Parents To Many Dogs
Chris Was Different
Chris was like a godsend for Mariesa. Chris was passionate about pets, and dogs in particular. There was more than just a mutual love for animals that brought these two together. They were set to create a home for their children… the furry kind.

Chris Was Different
Friendly Faces In These Places
One of the first things Chris and Mariesa noticed at Pibbles & More Animal Rescue was that there was a surplus of one kind of dog – pit bulls. Little did they know that one of those dogs was going to alter the course of their lives forever.

Friendly Faces In These Places
A Reputation They Did Not Deserve
As we’ve said, pit bulls have been deemed dangerous and unpredictable dogs, but that’s not the truth. While they are muscular and have large heads, they are not intrinsically a threat to human beings. This is part of the reason that many states and countries have banned having pit bulls as pets. This is also the reason that shelters are filling up with these dogs.

A Reputation They Did Not Deserve
One Would Be Theirs
When Chris and Mariesa saw all the pit bulls in the shelter, they knew immediately that they would adopt one of them. They didn’t realize the impact this adoption would have on them…

One Would Be Theirs
Loving And Loyal Creatures
Just like many other dog breeds, pit bulls have proven that they are very loyal and loving too. Their behavior is based on the way that they’re treated. If you treat them good, they’ll treat you even better! Chris and Mariesa were about to find that out for themselves.

Loving And Loyal Creatures
The Pups Should Have Popped Out Already
When they asked the rescue staff about Storie, they received a strange piece of information. They were informed that Storie should have already given birth to her puppies, but she hadn’t, and they didn’t know why. Something was very strange – they could see it in the dog’s eyes – and they wanted to know what was going on. Something told them that this was a matter of life and death.

The Pups Should Have Popped Out Already
Life And Death
It was clear as day that Storie was in dire need of help. The dog-loving pair realized that they were her only hope, and as time was ticking by, the understanding that they were looking at a situation of life and death hung over their heads.

Life And Death
Helping The Soon-To-Be Mom
Time was running out, and they needed to make a decision about this helpless dog. It took a lot of discussion, but to no avail. Then Storie approached Mariesa and softly placed her head on her new owner’s knee. The took made eye contact, and Mariesa could see deep into her new baby’s eyes. That’s all she needed…

Helping The Soon-To-Be Mom
Big Dog Family
On their way back home with Storie, a million different thoughts and worries entered Mariesa’s mind. She had brought home new dogs in the past, but this one was quite different, even if she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly it was. Things were not going to be as simple as they had expected.

Big Dog Family
The Perfect Solution
It wasn’t a surprise to understand that if Storie gave birth to her pups, they could expect to have an additional 10 dogs in a matter of minutes. Regardless of this fact, there was no way that they would allow Storie to give birth at the shelter, but they needed a safe place for her.

The Perfect Solution
An Idea
There was a lot of debate about what they could do, and of course, for every solution they found, a new problem seemed to follow it. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Chris exclaimed that he had a genius solution. Of course, there was skepticism, but this time he seemed more sure than ever.

An Idea
Foster Parents
Chris’ idea was to foster Storie, as they had planned, and the litter would be in their care too until they found permanent owners for them. It seemed like a good solution to their problem, but there was just one major problem – Storie didn’t seem like she wanted to give birth at all.

Foster Parents
Another Problem
As we said before, every solution seemed to have a problem trailing it. The fact was that even though Chris had a sterling idea, there was still a very real pregnancy going on. This issue obviously became their main concern and for very good reason.

Another Problem
Looking For Answers Online
Like many of us, the first place they chose to explore for answers to their unique issue was the internet. However, when they reached out to the wide web, they were quickly overwhelmed by the information that they found.

Looking For Answers Online
Terrifying
The truth is that the answers and information that they found on the internet was actually scarier than what they had anticipated. This often the situation when one looks to the internet for advice in difficult situations. It’s easy for anyone to upload information that might not even be correct.

Terrifying
Relationship Between Trauma And Birth
As human beings, we often underestimate the intelligence level of many animals. During their own research online, Chris and Mariesa found lots of articles about why a dog might not be giving birth to her puppies. However, there was one article that really seemed to speak to them as it best described their situation.

Relationship Between Trauma And Birth
Stressful Conditions
Research has shown that animals that stay in rescue shelters experience lots of stress and trauma. A pregnant animal will experience this to an even worse degree, and that was the case for Storie. The shelters are not to blame; it’s just the environment there. Storie would be given an opportunity of a lifetime to give birth at Chris and Mariesa’s home.

Stressful Conditions
Realizing How Dangerous The Situation Is
As their research deepened, they discovered just how precarious the situation was. Storie, realizing that she was living in a stressful environment might want to protect her unborn puppies by not giving birth to them.

Realizing How Dangerous The Situation Is
Traumatic Experiences
The problem with this is that she was not just endangering her unborn pups, but she was putting herself at risk of death too. Sometimes even an animal’s instincts could put them in danger. It was obvious that they had to rush her to a vet immediately.

Traumatic Experiences
Off To The Vet
Even though they were feeling really nervous and jittery about everything that was going on, they needed to show Storie that they were calm. The last thing that they wanted was to stress her out more. They took her to the car and off to the vet they went.

Off To The Vet
What The Ultrasound Showed
The vet took the dog for an ultrasound, but when she looked at the screen she was completely lost for words. She was totally shocked, and the pair could see it on her face. She sat there thinking for a moment and then decided that there must have been a mistake.

What The Ultrasound Showed
Something Isn’t Right
Even as time ticked on, the shapes on the screen didn’t seem to be disappearing or changing at all. Those little white outlines presented something groundbreaking for everyone in the room. Mariesa, after seeing the vet’s reaction, pushed to find out what was going on.

Something Isn’t Right
The Shock Of A Lifetime
After collecting her thoughts, the vet started to explain what was going on inside Storie’s body. Initially, they thought that she was pregnant with 6 puppies, but the ultrasound showed otherwise. The vet showed them the outlines on the monitor, and slowly they realized what was going on. This might be able to explain why Storie hadn’t given birth yet.

The Shock Of A Lifetime
Frozen In Shock
The veterinarian pointed out the outlines on the monitor and counted them out loud. There really wasn’t a need to actually explain what they were looking at – it was really clear that they were looking at more than just 6 puppies like they had expected.

Frozen In Shock
A Development No One Expected
The vet showed them the monitor and counted out the shapes again she could see in the dog’s belly. One, two, three, four, five, six… but the counting continued and continued. The veterinarian counted and counted until she reached twelve! Storie had 12 pups inside of her!

A Development No One Expected
Unexpected
Now that all the people in the room learned of the real number of puppies inside Storie, there were some things that needed to be discussed. What were they supposed to do from this point? Six puppies was a regular and expected number, but 12? That was unexpected.

Unexpected
Disbelief
Chris and Mariesa were completely floored by the news that they had just received. They knew that something was up, but this was far beyond their expectations. Would she survive? Would all 12 puppies be delivered safely?

Disbelief
Go Home And Wait
The vet herself was dumbfounded by the situation in front of her, but she had instructions ready for the anxious couple. After explaining that the ultrasound showed that the puppies were healthy, the vet told them to go home and allow Storie to ease into her birth.

Go Home And Wait
Preparation
The vet’s instructions were clear. The added note was that If 48 hours passed without anything, they should bring her right back. Little did they know that Storie was waiting to give birth with good reason.

Preparation
The Parents Are Anxious
As they walked out of the vet’s office, they were struck with a barrage of frightening thoughts. Storie was at risk, so were all of her 12 puppies, and the next 48 hours were surely going to be very stressful. But as they were making their way back home, Mariesa thought of something – a game-changer.

The Parents Are Anxious
A Brilliant Idea
This was turning into a really difficult and challenging situation, but obviously, they were not ready to throw in the towel under any circumstances. Chris and Mariesa decided that they were going to do whatever it took to help Storie get through this hardship, and that’s where their idea came into play.

A Brilliant Idea
Giving Her A Space Of Her Own
Since the couple had done a fortune of research concerning this rare case, they thought it would be best to make a little sanctuary of sorts for Storie. They set up a place in their bedroom with pillows and blankets to make her feel at home. They prayed that Storie would feel safe and relaxed, but they were clueless about the miracle that was about to happen.

Giving Her A Space Of Her Own
Sanctuary
The couple truly put in all the effort they could do ensure that Storie’s new sanctuary would be perfect for her. They went to extreme measures, like making sure that noise levels were low and that the room temperature was perfect, to make sure she was comfortable.

Sanctuary
Oblivious
When everything seemed set to go, the couple were exhausted. They let Storie settle into her place, and then they went to get ready for bed themselves. Even though Storie seemed to settle right in, they were still thinking about her.

Oblivious
Extraordinary
During the night, sleep seemed like an impossible activity. They might have gotten a few winks in when they heard some sort of strange noises coming from the place that had set up for pregnant Storie. They looked at each other, puzzled, and then quickly got out of bed.

Extraordinary
Tiptoed
They weren’t sure if there was something bad going on with Storie. They didn’t want to alarm her, after all, they had set up such a perfect sanctuary for her to feel calm. So instead they toward the room she was in.

Tiptoed
During The Night
In front of their eyes, laying in the nook they had created for her was Storie, and what was she doing? She was busy nursing her 12 newly-born puppies! They realized that it must have been during the night that gave birth. So what was the reason that she waited so long to give birth?

During The Night
Thrilled
The couple was totally overcome with emotion. They burst into tears – tears of happiness, of course. They were thrilled, to say the least. It was their care and love for Storie that ensured she would be able to give birth successfully.

Thrilled
A Dozen Puppies
As you might imagine, they didn’t want to leave their beloved new dog alone, but they figured that it was probably best for Storie. When morning came, even though they slept very little, they rushed back to see what was happening with Storie. They then got quite a surprise!

A Dozen Puppies
Waiting For A Little TLC
As we mentioned earlier, pregnant dogs don’t want to give birth in an environment which seems unsafe. Storie obviously knew that the shelter wasn’t the best place to give birth, but how did she know that Chris Mariesa would come along? Her natural instinct told her that it was the right place to have her puppies, and boy, was she right.

Waiting For A Little TLC
A Pack Of Her Own
This was truly a miracle. Storie had spent less than a day with the adopting couple, but she had drawn her own conclusions from their behavior and demeanor. She knew it was a safe and secure place for her 12 babies. Now what was next?

A Pack Of Her Own