“It was like she lost all her beautiful spark for life …”

By Caitlin Jill Anders

Published on Oct 2, 2025 at 3:32 PM

Mama Gladice arrived at Lancaster Animal Care Center in Southern California with her four puppies with no clues about what her life had been like before. She was found as a stray just trying to take care of her babies, and that’s all anyone knew.

After a week at the shelter, all of the puppies found their forever homes, while Mama Gladice was left behind.

“[Mama] Gladice was always pretty quiet and shy, but once her babies were adopted and she was alone, she seemed pretty different,” Evelyn Garces, a shelter volunteer, told The Dodo. “All I ever saw her do after that was either sleep or lie down. I was never able to see a smile on her face or even a tail wag.”

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7555614079696506142?lang=en-GB&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedodo.com%2Fdaily-dodo%2Fshelter-dog-watches-all-her-puppies-get-adopted-while-she-is-left-behind

Mama Gladice couldn’t understand where her puppies had gone and why she wasn’t able to go with them. She was struggling in the shelter environment, and it was hard for the staff and volunteers to watch her decline.

“She just seemed so sad all the time and it was like she lost all her beautiful spark for life,” Garces said. “It was devastating to see her that way.”

With Gladice being shut-down and the shelter being overcrowded, she was suddenly in danger of being put down. Garces and the other volunteers put out an urgent call to the rescue community, looking for someone who could help Mama Gladice, and it didn’t take long for their pleas to pay off.

Promise 4 Paws Rescue pulled Gladice from the shelter and took her into their care. They saved her life, and Garces along with everyone else couldn’t be more grateful to them for saving her life.

Gladice has a few health issues that need addressing, but the rescue will make sure she’s comfortable and loved until the day she finds her forever home.

“I’m sure the rescue will get to know her well and match her with the perfect family,” Garces said.

Related

Shelter Staff Find So Many Puppies Running Free — Then Realize Who’s Responsible

It was absolute chaos.

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Woman Discovers An Adorable Family Living On Her Patio’s String Lights

They survived against all odds.

By Ashley Ortiz

Last month, Reddit user GinnySleazy was elated to find a hummingbird perched atop a small string light on her patio. She assumed the bird was just stopping by for a quick visit, until she noticed a small, hollow object attached to the light.

The hummingbird became a permanent fixture on GinnySleazy’s patio, often resting in the same spot above the string light. A couple of weeks later, while the hummingbird was out searching for food, GinnySleazy carefully peaked above the string light and discovered the real reason behind the bird’s unusually long visit.

“A hummingbird built a nest on my patio lights and laid two tiny eggs!” GinnySleazy wrote on Reddit.

https://embed.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/1l602xj/a_hummingbird_built_a_nest_on_my_patio_lights_and/?embed=true&ref_source=embed&ref=share&utm_medium=widgets&utm_source=embedv2&utm_term=23&utm_name=post_embed&embed_host_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedodo.com%2Fdaily-dodo%2Fwoman-discovers-an-adorable-family-living-on-her-patios-string-lights

GinnySleazy was thrilled to know that the hummingbird felt safe enough to raise her babies on the patio. But she worried about the tiny family whenever seasonal winds would whip the string lights — and their nest — around.

“The nest has survived some pretty bad winds the last couple [of] weeks, but I’ll be a nervous auntie about it when the babies hatch!” GinnySleazy wrote in a comment.

Thankfully, hummingbird nests are deceivingly durable and sticky, thanks to a special material used at the end of its construction: spider silk.

“The silk, which holds the nest together and anchors it to a foundation, is inserted into nooks and crevices to ensure attachment,” American Bird Conservancy (ABC Birds) wrote on their website.

While finding a nest atop a thin string light may seem odd, hummingbirds are known for raising their babies in unlikely places.

“[H]ummingbirds tend to ‘set up shop’ on thinner branches roughly one foot from tree trunks, often at a fork,” ABC Birds wrote. “[They] sometimes even [nest] on wires, plant hangers, and other human-made items.”

Sure enough, the hummingbird’s nest on GinnySleazy’s patio survived the toughest weather conditions. Then, one day, she saw two tiny heads poke out from above the nest.

“Update on the hummingbird nest: I’m a grandma!” GinnySleazy wrote on Reddit.

Over the next few weeks, GinnySleazy watched the hummingbird care for her rapidly growing babies. Before she knew it, the two little hummingbirds were snug in their nest, ready to spread their wings for more space.

“My hummingbird babies are about to outgrow the nest!” GinnySleazy wrote in a Reddit update.

It’s been a month since their arrival, and the hummingbird babies are almost ready to fly the nest and begin their own adventures. GinnySleazy will be sad to see them go, but in the meantime, she’ll continue looking out for them every step of the way.

“I will protect them with my life,” GinnySleazy wrote.

Related

Watch The Moment Anxious Rottweiler Calms Down After Receiving A Special Toy

“He was very sweet with this one” 🥹

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