Kaitlin Devoto knew next to nothing about the dog she had agreed to foster, except that he was from a puppy mill.
“I didn’t know his gender or his age,” said Kaitlin Devoto, the pup’s foster mom. “The first time we knew what she looked like was when she arrived in Cincinnati, when I picked her up.”
She noticed that the dog was producing a little milk, but the experienced foster mom assumed it was due to a recent litter.
“It’s not uncommon to get a puppy mill mom who’s still nursing,” Devoto said. “When their puppies are weaned, the moms are no longer useful.”
The dog was also skinnier than she should have been, which Devoto planned to treat with nutritious meals and lots of love. She picked up the poodle, scared but relieved, and carried him home.
Four days later, Devoto wakes up and makes a shocking discovery: There was a little poodle in his new foster dog’s bed.
“She gave birth to the puppy during the night! Devote said.
She quickly checked the poodle’s belly for other puppies and was even more surprised to learn that there had only been one.
“He was a unique baby! Devote said.
Kaitlin Devoto immediately went to work to ensure the comfort of mother and baby. She lined a closed crate with warm blankets and gave the two poodles a quiet place to sleep and nurse.
Checking the pup to make sure he was healthy, she noticed two things: He was a boy and he looked like a chicken nugget.
“It was very quickly called Chicky Nug”, says Kaitlin Devoto, “but I couldn’t come up with a name for Momma that corresponded to the same theme”.
With the help of his friends, Devoto came up with Mickey D’s name for Momma, after the fast food chain McDonald’s. They opted for Mickey for short.
“Mickey seems to suit him,” Devoto says. “Plus, Mickey and Chicky make a cute name duo!”
Since the puppy was born, the personalities of Mickey and Chicky have blossomed. Chicky is now a fun-loving and sassy 5-week-old pup.
“He loves to run around and do somersaults,” says Devoto. “And he’s very interested in biting toes and toys.”
Mickey also enjoys playing with his toys and being surrounded by his family. According to Devoto, the nervous dog gains confidence every day.
The two dogs are still in the care of Kaitlin Devoto, but they will soon be joining their adoptive home. Chicky will meet his adoptive family when he is 8 weeks old, and Mickey can be adopted by Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue next month.
Although Devoto is sad to see Mickey and Chicky go, she will always cherish the times she spent with the mother-son duo. Their time together may have been short, but the love Devoto and his foster puppies shared during those few weeks will certainly last a lifetime.
