When Tracey and Jon Stewart stumbled upon a lonely dog wandering the streets of Tennessee, they were shocked to see she was pregnant and lacking the sustenance she desperately needed.
Not sure how they could go about helping her, they decided it was best to take her to a vet.
It transpired to be a wise decision; the female, named Bess, was pregnant and carrying no less than 12 puppies.
When Tracey and Jon arrived at the vets, they were told there was little chance all 12 pups would survive. The smallest of the litter, Burrdie, was in critical condition, having blocked the birth canal and been bereft of the right levels of oxygen.
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