And she just accepted these strange creatures that look like dogs but didn’t smell like dogs, didn’t look like her dogs, and she just accepted them.” “She was here, she got brought into this place that was scary for her - it was a vet hospital - with all these different smells.

Introducing Kassy, the golden retriever who had a new litter of her own puppies and milk to share with the new painted dog puppies. Kassy immediately accepted the painted dog puppies as if they were her own and began to nurse and care for them.

“We started making phone calls just to shelters and humane societies - people we knew, just reaching out to our community to see if they could find us a lactating female because the SSP recommended the best survival for these guys to be raised by another dog,” explained Jami Richard, the zoo’s general curator. The African Painted Dog Species Survival Plan (SSP), a group of zoo professionals who determine the breeding plans for this species in accredited zoos across the United States, recommended that the zoo find a surrogate domestic dog to nurse the pups instead of bottle-feeding them. “So, we intervened, and we were able to raise these three little healthy boys that we’re excited about one day kind of getting paired up with some other females in some other zoos and be able to contribute to the breeding program.” “We want mom to be able to raise them, but it was very clear in the beginning that mom was not gonna raise these pups,” Sisk said. They’ve had an unusual and challenging start to life, but the zoo hopes they will have a bright and successful future. The unnamed painted dog pups are currently identified as Blue, Red, and Orange for the colors the staff have used to track them. “We’ve had painted dogs for six or seven years here at the zoo, but this is the first time we’ve actually had puppies.” “This is something we’ve been trying to do for many years, just have a breeding program with our painted dogs,” said Josh Sisk, executive director at the Potawatomi Zoo.

It’s an incredible story and the zoo has gained national recognition because of it. Three endangered African painted dogs were just born at the zoo in September, and they’re alive today thanks to the great staff and a golden retriever. (WNDU) - It’s time to shine a light on Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend - specifically three new additions!

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