When a stray shepherd mix and her 11 newborn pups arrived at Dallas Animal Services in July, shelter workers sensed something was off about this litter right away.
Although all dogs are born with facial hair, some even have substantial beards, one particular puppy had a handlebar mustache.
The tiny family was cared for by shelter employees for two weeks, but with up to 100 homeless animals passing through their doors each day, they recognized the scenario couldn’t last.
“We knew we had to get them out since puppies are at such a high danger of becoming sick in the shelter environment,” Allison Seelig, of Hearts & Bones Rescue, told The Dodo. “We went to visit them last week and were fortunate to locate an amazing foster family in Dallas who welcomed them all in!”
Many rescues couldn’t believe their eyes when they met Salvador Dolly, popularly known as “Mustache Puppy.”
“The first question most people have is, ‘Is it real?’” “There’s a lot of screeching and ‘Omg stop it!’ over her,” Seelig remarked. “Honestly, her siblings are all so adorable, so when we met them, we were all oohing and ahhing over the whole bunch!”
Salvador Dolly may appear to be a bit young for a bushy hipster mustache at 5 weeks old, but she isn’t ashamed of her furry top lip.
The entire family is relieved to be in a secure environment where they can receive the medical treatment and attention they require. Their loving foster ensures that each puppy is kept happy, mustache or no mustache: “The pups are still nursing, which can be a lot for Mom to handle, but her foster makes sure to give her pauses to have some leisure,” Seelig explained. “She’s also eating a lot to make sure she maintains her calorie intake!”
“The puppies aren’t walking much yet,” Seelig added, “and they spend their days alternating between fighting and crawling all over each other, napping in a snuggle pile, and eating.” “It’s been an interesting life.”
The entire family will go north to New York City in late August once the puppies have been weaned. They will be placed in new foster homes while looking for permanent families.
