Have you ever heard of the plight of the un-weaned puppy?  Did you know that thousands of un-weaned puppies are turned into the shelters every year?  Did you also know that these innocent puppies only have a few hours to find a foster home before they are euthanized?  It is a common misconception that the shelters have the time and funds to keep these pups and raise them until they are adoptable.

This is a silent epidemic…you always hear about the horrible fate that most pit bulls face in the shelter system but what you don’t hear about is these un-weaned little ones.

Bottle feeding is definitely a labor of love!  The time it takes to bottle-feed a pup from birth to 8 weeks is very time consuming and is very much like having a newborn baby!  You have to get up around the clock to feed the pup for the first 4 weeks, on average every 2-4 hours.  Don’t forget you have to stimulate the pup in order for it to use the bathroom, just like a momma dog!  You also have to clean up after the pup and clean the area or crate you keep the pup in!  Then you have to wean the pup onto solid foods, which can be pretty messy, just like a real baby!  All the while you have to play with and entertain the puppy and teach the puppy nice puppy manners so when it is old enough it can find its FUR-ever family!  See, it really is just like raising a baby, except lucky for us, it only last 8 weeks!  More often than not, our bottle-feeders have more than 1 puppy, so multiply everything by 3 or 4 and sometimes even 5 or 6!

The cost to raise a pup from birth to 8 weeks is also very costly!  To raise one medium size pup from birth to 8 weeks is between $300 - $400.  The cost breaks down like this:

Espilac (puppy formula) -  $50 1 large can (every 2 weeks for about 4-6 weeks)  = $100

Bottles and Nipples – $10

Puppy Potty Pads – $15 1 large box (every week for 8 weeks) = $120

Puppy Food for Weaning - $40

De-worming Medication - $20

Puppy Well Check with Vet – $60

Puppy 1st Vaccinations - $20

Misc. Supplies (paper towels, baby wipes, puppy shampoo, etc) - $20

This all adds up, and we didn’t even mention if the pup needs medical attention other than normal care!

But this is what Noah’s Bark does…we make a difference.  But we need your help!

Maybe you can help by sponsoring a pup or even better, an entire litter.  By sponsoring a puppy or a litter you get the privilege of naming the puppies!  This helps pay for everything we need to raise these little ones!

A $100 donation allows you to name a puppy!

A $300 donation allows you to name the entire litter!

Just think, maybe she will grow up and be a little boy’s best friend or her family’s guardian. You gave her hope and a chance where no hope was to be found! You can feel your heart swell with love and pride because you made a difference!!

**Just a reminder all monetary donations are tax deductible.**