‘Starved’ dog shocked SC rescuers with litter of pups. Now all are adopted — but her
A “starved” dog evaded capture for months — until a tropical storm barreled down on South Carolina.
Thelma made it to safety, then shocked her rescuers with a litter of puppies. All of her surviving babies have since been adopted, but she still waits for a home of her own.
“Thelma will always carry her trauma and the scars of her past, but she is full of life and joy,” Gregory Crabtree, who helped rescue the mama dog, told the Charleston Animal Society in a Jan. 28 email.
Thelma needs a second chance after a journey that started months ago. Before Tropical Storm Debby hit the Charleston area in early August, she was spotted roaming outside.
“She’d often be in our neighborhood but would run into the marsh when we approached,” Crabtree wrote. “She looked scared and alone but something kept her away from people.”
The mixed-breed dog remained elusive until she showed up at Crabtree’s front door during a break in the storm. The family spent hours trying to catch the dog, who reportedly showed signs of abuse.
“I was rescued that day and had my first shower inside a house and went to the vet,” the shelter said in a Facebook post written from Thelma’s perspective. “I loved my new home with a male and female dog and a male cat so much that I decided to surprise my new housemates with puppies!”
The family had suspected Thelma was pregnant, but it was difficult to tell at first because she arrived so thin. She started gaining weight and gave birth to 11 puppies, nine of which survived, shelter spokesperson Kay Hyman told McClatchy News via email.
“Thelma came to us starved, scared and broken,” Crabtree wrote. “She was freezing had bruises and cuts that could be chopped up to living on the street for who knows how long, could barely walk and her eyes would not focus. She couldn’t squat to use the bathroom without falling down and had a horrible tremor throughout her body.”
As she raised her puppies, Thelma was gentle but sometimes got overwhelmed. She and her surviving babies were surrendered to the Charleston Animal Society, and all of the pups were adopted before Christmas.
But as of Jan. 29, the shelter’s website still listed Thelma among the animals in need of new owners. She’s described as a “hesitant and timid” 2-year-old dog who is building trust and loves going on walks.
“She just needs a house with room because she does get overstimulated,” Crabtree said. “But the only thing Thelma really wants to do it lay on the couch and nap beside you.”
Details about the shelter’s adoption process can be found at charlestonanimalsociety.org.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM with the headline "‘Starved’ dog shocked SC rescuers with litter of pups. Now all are adopted — but her."
