Peaches' Story

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by DKC's Rana Marok

Peaches is an Anatolian Shepherd who was transiting through Dubai, travelling from Afghanistan on her way to the U.S. to permanently join her new adoptive soldier's family. Her onward flight was unexpectedly delayed for quite a time, so we brought her over to DKC for a little extra TLC until she could fly.

The next day I came in early and started my usual morning rounds to see how all our boarders were doing. When I reached Peaches' enclosure I heard this little squeaky noise which at first I thought was a mouse. So I entered her enclosure... and what a surprise! PUPPIES!!! Nine gorgeous little darling puppies! Tiny little canine creatures squeaking and whimpering and huddling up to Peaches. We had had no idea that Peaches was pregnant!!! An astonishing moment that I will never forget.

Now the tricky part. I wanted to check Peaches and the puppies to make sure they were all OK and I also wanted to move them to a room where we could keep a closer, better eye on them all for the next many days - but would Peaches let me? Well, to my continuing amazement and wonder, Peaches didn't growl or glare at me even a little bit as I got cautiously and calmly closer and closer and closer... eventually close enough to reach out and gently touch one of the pups. Peaches did nothing! She was absolutely fine that I was there and that I was holding one of her puppies - she just looked at me, exhausted. I then put a leash around her neck and took her out of the enclosure so we could move her and her puppies to a better place.

All the handlers at DKC excitedly ran around preparing the new "den" for Peaches and her pups. They were all healthy, big and, of course, scrumptiously adorable. The most amazing thing was Peaches herself: she never showed any aggression when we handled her puppies; never growled or warned us away in any way, and she allowed us all to feel as if her pups were OUR pups.

And looking after them was no easy task! Constant feeding and cleaning took hours (but it was fun!). Naming them wasn't easy either, but Peaches bore fruit and so they should be appropriately named, we thought; welcome into the world, Mango, Apple, Papaya, Grapes, Peanut, Strawberry, Chestnut, Coconut and Orange.

Peaches eventually made it to the U.S. and all the pups were rehomed, some to the U.S. and some here in Dubai, including a couple that were gobbled up by DKC staff. We've had similar situations over the years... these not-so-little "thank goodness" moments.