Two years ago, kindness like yours changed everything for sweet Maya. She was rescued from life on a choke chain, tethered outside, surrounded by feces and garbage. This heavily pregnant mother was surviving in the cold with no bedding, and limited access to food and water. Skinny and desperate for comfort, this girl sparked an outpouring of love from kind people like you who wanted to help her in her time of need.

That rescue has meant a brighter future for not only Maya but her nine puppies who were born safely in care. Today, each one is bringing joy to their forever family this holiday season, sharing unconditional love with people who adore them. When you choose to open your caring heart to the animals, your generosity ripples further than you can imagine.

After arriving into care, Maya was placed in a loving foster home to give her a comfortable environment to deliver and nurture her adorable puppies. She didn’t know it at the time, but she’d already found her own forever family!

Maya was a complete super-mom. Despite her skinny body, she did everything she could to give her pups the best start in life. With the kind generosity of people like you, the devotion of her loving foster family, and the staff overseeing their care, Maya and her babies thrived.

Two years on, life could not look more different for Maya. This adorable girl has truly landed on her paws, and fortunately her babies will never know the suffering she endured.

With every adventure Maya experiences, her life on a chain becomes an even more distant memory. She loves car rides, exploring new places and making friends with other four-legged creatures. “She gets along with everyone and everything” shared Maya’s mom, Mandi.

“Maya’s best friend is her ‘sister’, Ava, who is also a BC SPCA alumni! She always follows Ava’s lead when we’re adventuring away from home, whether hiking or swimming. But Maya is the one who starts every game of wrestling! She is goofy, funny, loving and gentle. When it’s time for a rest, she comes up on the couch for cuddles and kisses with us. Six months after we brought Maya home, our old girl Heidi sadly passed away. Maya helped to heal our hearts, and I believe she was put in our path for that reason.”

As for her puppies, they’re all happy in their own forever homes. Far from the furry potatoes they were in the first weeks of life, each one has blossomed into their own unique character. Maya still keeps up with one of her brood, Lincoln.

These two enjoy playdates together at the dog park and have even had a few sleepovers. Lincoln continues to use his mother as a pillow, just as he did when he was a little one!

Seeing a neglected animal like Maya sleeping so peacefully in a home where she is deeply loved fills you with warmth. There is nothing she deserves more.

As we come to the end of another year, with your compassionate love beside us we will work towards a kinder world for animals in the months ahead. Today, please make a loving gift to help more precious lives like Maya if you can.

Beyond the dedicated care of Maya and her babies, the BC SPCA Animal Protection team has continued working behind the scenes to bring justice for her. These cases can often take years to move through the legal system, even after charges are recommended to Crown Counsel.

In Maya’s case, her previous guardian was finally convicted this fall and received a two-year ban on keeping animals. While we believe stronger sentencing would have been appropriate, this outcome is still an important step forward within the current animal protection legal system. We will continue to fight for what is just thanks to kindness like yours.

Each generous act you choose to make helps transformational work like this happen.