SUDBURY -- The power of social media was on full display in Sudbury this week, when a local woman seeking a surrogate mother for her seven newborn puppies, sought help  from the public through a post in the Facebook group Greater Sudbury Animal Shelter.

The Facebook group, which is curated by the City of Greater Sudbury, published a post from a woman seeking help for the litter of puppies that had recently lost their mother due to complications relating to their birth. 

Facebook post looking for dog surrogate

What happened next was truly inspiring.

Caroline Charette, of Hanmer, whose dog had recently given birth to its own litter, quickly reached out to the woman to offer her support. 

Charette’s golden retriever, Molly, and her daughter’s Rottweiler, Sora, still recovering from the birth of their own respective litters, received the puppies as if they were their own. 

"The moment the puppies were introduced to Molly and Sora, they started feeding right away.  Both dogs started licking the puppies, comforting them and just doing what great moms do," said Charette.

Molly the golden retriever nurses orphaned puppies     Sora the surrogate Rottweiler nurses orphaned pups

The next few days were busy. 

With a total of three litters, "I wasn’t getting much sleep," said Charette. "I noticed every time the puppies would cry out, both dogs would run over to comfort them.  The funniest part about it, Molly won’t let Sora near her litter. She’ll growl and snarl, but both dogs happily share the surrogate litter.  It is so special."

Surrogate mothers for newborn animals can drastically impact the long-term health of the litter. While bottle-feeding provides the necessary sustenance for the puppies, a mother’s presence after birth can impact everything from the dog’s behaviour and temperament to its ability to go to the bathroom, even extending into the animal’s maturity.

"I reached out because I knew I could help.  It is so important to help people when they need it.  The moment I thought we could pull this off, I actually left work to make sure we could get the puppies with Molly right away.  I knew the puppies needed that," said Charette.

Charette has been in daily contact with the owner of the litter and plans to return them over the next several weeks, when they start eating puppy food.