Rosemary, the dog, was left behind without a word. She was dumped at a shelter. She was alone, afraid, and visibly pregnant.
Ten tiny souls came into the world, and Rosemary became everything for them. She may have had nothing to give; she mothered them with fierce devotion, curling around her pups with a heart bigger than her fragile body. It is the unwavering love of a mother. She was struggling, but with brave, warm eyes.
Rosemary came into foster care after giving birth, and while her tail wagged gently each morning, there were battles no one could see.
“This is my foster dog Rosemary. She’s 10 weeks post-birth, and she came to me heartworm-positive,” her foster mom shared.
Her skin was the first challenge, which was dull, flaky, and tired. Within two weeks, her dull coat was glowing again, just like the light returning to its origin. But the next challenge was the emotional state of Rosemary.
Rosemary was emotionally unstable and didn’t get along with the resident dog, named Wally. Crate-and-rotate became the norm. Tensions rose.
“Though she was trying her best, there were moments when fear took over, and in those moments, Rosemary bit. Once, it was Lily, her foster’s niece. Another time, it was me,”
her foster admitted.
She wasn’t the type of dog that usually drew a crowd of adopters. She was heartworm-positive, had a bite record, and couldn’t live with other pets — the red flags to anyone who didn’t know her heart.
But her foster mom didn’t give up.
“She has simultaneously been the easiest and most emotionally difficult foster I’ve ever had,” she said.
During heartworm recovery, vets were prohibiting exercise. Training was all she had — slow, intentional steps forward. In a small hometown, each bit of progress was a hard-earned triumph.
And slowly and constantly, love began to win. Rosemary learned, listened, and tried.
She went to photoshoots, wagged her tail, and soaked up every kind touch like sunshine.
And through it all, her foster mom’s mama-bear heart protected her.
“I had to be fully committed, or she wasn’t going to make it out. I never thought she’d be the dog to make me cry… but here I am.”
Today, Rosemary is heartworm-free.
Rosemary is going to another home.
Not just a roof — a real home.
Since Rosemary wasn’t dangerous, she was determined. And in the right hands, she bloomed.
