Read this first – Chronicles of Clem: The Beginning
Because Clem had been abandoned by her original owners, we had no idea as to her actual age, though the vet guessed a couple months old at the time we adopted her.
When we sent her to obedience and sign language training, she was still too young yet to be most responsibly spayed according to our vet.
Unexpectedly and unfortunately, while at training, Clem went into her first heat. We were advised by the trainer that it was no problem, because all of the male dogs at the property had to be neutered.
We were receiving regular updates, and went in June to PV to visit her in person. She seemed very happy to see us, and like she was doing super well.
About a month later, I got this text from her trainer:
The trainer informed us that Clem was pregnant approximately 2 weeks before she was due to give birth.
Frantically, we reached out to our trusted vet. At this point, she informed us, the only option was for Clem to give birth (it was too late for an abortion). We could either keep the puppies, or they could be euthanized one by one as they were birthed.
Wow.
I hope you can imagine which option we chose.
After consulting with our incredible vet, who emphasized to us the dangerousness of the situation (including how young Clem is, that she is surrounded by other dogs and has not been allowed a dark quiet safe space, that she wasn’t being given vet care, and that she looked quite thin – and the trainer was not being very responsive and seemed 0% concerned about the situation), we arranged for an emergency rescue mission for Clem.
Making a complex situation even more ridiculously convoluted, we needed to leave for the US the very next day. One of D’s employees was able to go to PV for us, which required him flying on a last minute flight to PV, renting a car (a whole disaster in itself, too long to go into but here’s a big FUCK YOU PV Avis, who went out of their way to take advantage of us, knowing the desperate situation we were in, and thank you PV Hertz for picking up their slack), swooping Clem up, and driving her back to Mexico City (she was too pregnant to fly).
She arrived to go to Mexico City safe and sound, going to stay in the vet hospital and receive the care she needed, and we left for the US. She needed better nutrition stat, and was diagnosed as absolutely full of parasites, which broke our hearts further, as it seemed she clearly wasn’t getting the kind of attention at the training center she deserved.
We returned to Mexico City from the US on a Monday, and Clem gave birth under vet supervision on a Tuesday to 6 healthy puppies: 5 boys and 1 girl.
Want to read more about our adventure taking care of newborn puppies? Check out our Pupdates here!
A short vacation in Thailand turned into a life abroad with a canceled ticket home. Nearly a decade later and after living in Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Puebla, and Puerto Vallarta, Steph is on to her next adventure and living back in beautiful, cosmopolitan Mexico City. She is living, traveling, and working (both as an expat therapist and an international health insurance representative) around the world to find the beautiful, inspirational, and interesting while sharing it with you!
