by Leslie Gilmore
Some followers of Tuba City Humane may be familiar with us at the Gilumpf Dog Ranch, especially after a summer of Tumbleweed puppy posts. We became acquainted with the TCHS in 2018 when we saw a picture of Matilda (then Cookie) and made sure we showed up first in line for the meet and greet. While falling in love with her, we also got adopted by Emmett and our journey with TCHS pups began. Along with Matilda and Emmett we have Fooze, Hans, and Lemon whose stories you may know from newsletters past.
In the summer of 2023 we were a short term stop for a sweet mama dog named Orchid and her nine little pups. I suppose it was this brief foster that led us to understand that we could (probably) foster a future mama and pups for the long haul. So, in early 2025 we told the crew at TCHS that we were ready and willing to take the plunge this year. As with any rescue in an area of nearly constant need, Tuba City Humane Society heard our offer and (as the kids like to say) replied with “Bet!”
In mid June of this year the volunteers got a call about a VERY pregnant momma dog who was hanging out at a gas station in Inscription House. We volunteered to foster, and the crew quickly lured her into a crate with a nice toasty burger and drove her to Flagstaff. When she arrived, it was clear that she was going to have puppies very soon so we quickly prepared to welcome them. Sonora settled in and proved to be a sweet tempered love bug, which was a great sign with a litter of puppies on the way.
It was good that we got her in care when we did because those puppies showed up only a week later. Sonora started showing signs of early labor on a Friday night and the first pup arrived around 3am the next morning. Based on her appearance we knew this was not going to be a small litter. However, the puppies just kept coming until by 10am we had a total of 12 squirming, squealing puppies. And that was the beginning of many weeks of chaos, routine, work, excitement, and love.
Sonora was a fantastic mom. We provided supportive care and a safe environment, but it was truly beautiful to see how attentive and caring she was with her babies. Everyone started off eating well and we spent a lot of time weighing and monitoring the crew to make sure we stepped in with formula and support where necessary. Twelve puppies are a lot and we did some supplemental bottle feeding and transitioned to puppy mush on the early side to help Sonora as the puppies needs outpaced her ability to feed them.
Taking care of the puppies (by then named Sonora’s Tumbleweeds) was a lot of work, but in a time where there is a lot of uncertainty and disruption in the human world around us, there was something really grounding and fulfilling about having a routine centered around meeting the core needs of these little beings. The litter itself was incredibly diverse both in appearance and personality. We had so much fun introducing them to the public as they grew and showed us who they were at each new stage of development. From squirmy little helpless neonates to wild pouncing babies with shark teeth to curious little puppies putting anything and everything in their mouths, we tried to soak up every stage.
TMI: One thing every stage had in common was poop… twelve well-fed puppies meant that our lives not only centered around playtime and stimulating little puppy brains, but it was also a constant cycle of clean up and laundry. Now that the last few we are fostering are potty trained and integrated with our big dogs we have so much free time and so many fewer loads of laundry… That is something to celebrate!
Now as we work on finding the right homes for the last three adoptable Tumbleweeds, we’re reflecting on the experience and feeling the bittersweetness of launching these sweet pups out into the world. Every goodbye has been filled with hope and excitement knowing that this is what TCHS and fosters like us are here to do. We create a space for rescue pups to become the best dogs they can be and to find the right home where they will continue to love and be loved. If you see us wiping away a few tears, it’s because we too fall in love with these pups, even when we know they have somewhere else to be in the end.
Thank you to all the TCHS supporters, volunteers, adopters, and followers. It is because of the collective effort that dogs like Sonora and the Tumbleweeds get to enjoy a happy future, and this is always worth the effort.
This article was published in the Tuba City Humane Society December, 2025, Rescue Tales newsletter.