A routine day quickly turned into a rescue mission for an entire family.
Kim Novak was going about her work delivering mail in Arkansas when something near a freeway caught her attention.
Down in a roadside ditch was a mother dog — and she wasn’t alone.
Several tiny puppies were with her, apparently trying to survive in the rough area without anyone looking after them.
Kim immediately realized the little family needed help.
She contacted a nearby animal shelter first, hoping someone could come and rescue them. Unfortunately, the shelter was already full and couldn’t accept any more animals.
She then reached out to animal control, but learned that the location fell outside the officer’s jurisdiction.
Still, Kim wasn’t willing to give up.
Eventually, she contacted Jak’s Second Chance Rescue Ranch, a nonprofit animal rescue organization. This time, the answer she’d been hoping for finally came:
Someone was coming to help.
The Puppies Suddenly Disappeared
Rescuer Chris York headed to the location and began searching the area.
He soon discovered a dog bed, suggesting that the family had indeed been staying there. But there was a worrying problem.
The puppies were gone.
Another volunteer, Linda Daugherty, remained nearby and watched the area from her vehicle. She hoped that if everything became quiet, the frightened dogs might eventually reveal where they were hiding.
After some time, Linda noticed movement in the distance.
It was the mother.
She was keeping her distance and watching cautiously, seemingly unsure whether the strangers were there to help or harm her.
If Mom was still nearby, rescuers believed her puppies couldn’t be far away.
Hidden Among The Briars
Local dog expert Tommye Watts joined the effort, and the team placed humane traps around the area in hopes of safely catching the mother.
Watts then searched through the surrounding vegetation.
Eventually, the missing puppies were found huddled together among thick briars.
The rescuers carefully gathered the babies and wrapped them in a T-shirt to keep them together and protected.
Six puppies were now safe.
But their mother was still outside.
And the team wasn’t leaving without her.
They Waited Until Midnight
The rescuers settled in for a long wait.
Hours passed as they patiently gave the frightened mother enough space to approach the trap on her own.
Then, close to midnight, their patience finally paid off.
The mama dog entered the trap.
For the first time since the rescue began, the entire family was safe.
They were transported to the ranch, where the mother’s behavior showed just how exhausted she had become while trying to survive outdoors and care for six babies.
She quickly finished food and water before falling into a deep sleep while her puppies nursed beside her.
Once she understood that the people around her weren’t going to hurt her, her fear began to disappear.
The exhausted mother started accepting affection, treats and gentle attention from her rescuers.
After everything she’d apparently endured, she could finally rest without having to protect her babies alone.
A New Beginning For Jolene And Her Babies
The rescue team gave the mother a new name: Jolene.
Her six puppies received music-inspired names of their own: Dolly, Bowie, Jagger, Ozzy, Olivia and Prince.
The next step was finding somewhere the family could continue receiving the care they needed.
Forgotten Paws of Northwest Arkansas agreed to welcome Jolene and all six of her puppies into their care.
What began with a mail carrier noticing something unusual beside a freeway ended with seven dogs finally reaching safety.
Had Kim simply continued on her route that day, their story might have ended very differently.
Instead, she stopped.
And because she did — and because several rescuers refused to give up when the first attempts didn’t work — a frightened mother no longer has to protect her puppies alone.
Now, Jolene and her babies have something they didn’t have in that ditch: a safe place and a chance at a new life.
