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Golden Retriever Helps Raise Endangered African Painted Dog Pups Ignored By Their Mom

Three rare African painted dog pups found a support system in one of the most unlikely places.

The Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, shared on Wednesday that two of their African painted dogs, Bleu and Maurice, had a litter of eight puppies born on Sept. 28. However, the animal care team at the zoo realized shortly after the endangered pups were born that they faced a big dilemma.

The pups' mother, Bleu — described by the zoo as an "inexperienced mother" — had shown signs that she was "not caring for her pups the way she should," and Maurice had followed her lead. Their pack, which includes Bleu's sister, Colby, also exhibited behavior that showed zookeepers the animals wouldn't be successful at raising the pups.

"We knew within 24 hours that we had to separate them," the zoo's executive director, Josh Sisk,South Bend Tribune.

A photo of the African Painted Dog pups at the Potawatomi Zoo.

Potawatomi Zoo

The Potawatomi Zoo said its animal care staff consulted with the African Painted Dog Species Survival Plan, which determines the breeding plans for species across accredited zoos in the U.S., and decided that the litter of puppies needed to be "hand-raised."

Sisk told the South Bend Tribune that wild dog pups can be aggressive and "you can't just run in and grab them." So, the zoo decided to find a surrogate dog to help raise the pups and was connected — with the help of the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare — with a golden retriever named Kassy, who recently had her own litter of puppies and could nurse the African painted dog pups alongside them.

Kassy arrived at the zoo the "day after the pups were born" and "immediately accepted them." As the animal care staff watched, the golden retriever nursed and cared for them like her own puppies.

"It was a crazy first month," Sisk said. "Our team was there for four weeks, 24/7. We had a mattress next to the dogs."

However, despite the staff and Kassy's efforts, not all of the African painted dog pups survived, the zoo said. Four weeks after the litter of eight was born, only three pups remained. They were named Blue, Red, and Orange.

The zoo said it tried to reintegrate the pups with Bleu, Colby, and Maurice's pack, but the adult canines "didn't display suitable positive interest in the puppies." So the zoo opted to build a home adjacent to the adult dogs instead so the puppies could still "learn how to behave like painted dogs."

A photo of one of the African Painted Dogs at Potawatomi Zoo.

Potawatomi Zoo

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"Blue, Red, and Orange have had an unusual and challenging start to life, but the zoo hopes they will have a bright and successful future," the zoo said in their release, noting that keepers hoped to integrate the pips with the adult African painted dogs eventually.

The zoo added that it hoped the pups would be "visible" to the public soon.

"It has been an emotionally exhausting and challenging journey for the team, but it is the Zoo's mission to work toward the preservation of wild species," the zoo shared. "Sometimes the journey is smooth, and sometimes it takes extraordinary measures. These three healthy, active pups are just the start of this story, and the Zoo hopes to share more positive updates of their milestones in the future."

Zoo Welcomes 3 Endangered African Painted Dog Pups With Special Help From A Golden Retriever

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU/Gray News) - A zoo in Indiana is officially introducing its youngest residents, little pups who have had some help from a special surrogate mom.

Three endangered African painted dog pups were born at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend on Sept. 28.

The painted dog pups were born to mother Bleu and father Maurice. The zoo also has a third adult painted dog, Colby.

The zoo said animal care staff had carefully tracked Bleu's pregnancy from the start and, via remote cameras, they were able to watch the birth. Bleu originally had eight pups, but unfortunately, some of the painted dog pups weren't strong enough to survive. Zoo officials said this is common with baby animals.

Right now, the zoo is working to build a home for Blue, Red and Orange next to Bleu, Maurice and Colby so they can learn how to behave like painted dogs.(Potawatomi Zoo)

The surviving pups, currently identified as Blue, Red and Orange for the colors the staff used to track them since birth, have had an unusual and challenging start to life, but the zoo said it hopes they will have a bright and successful future.

Animal care staff at zoos try to remain as hands-off as possible to ensure that the pack can raise their litter of pups. The zoo said this strategy has been proven through several successful births in zoos around the world, and it gives the puppies the best chance to learn the complex social structure of their species.

Within 12 hours of the puppies' birth, officials said the animal care team could tell that the pack would not be able to do the job. The zoo said Bleu, an inexperienced mother, was not caring for her pups the way she should have, and Maurice was following her lead.

The zoo consulted with the African Painted Dog Species Survival Plan, a group of zoo professionals who determine the breeding plans in accredited zoos across the United States, on how to proceed. They then decided to intervene and hand-raise the litter of puppies.

Kassy immediately accepted the painted dog puppies as if they were her own and began to nurse and care for them.(Potawatomi Zoo)

The survival plan group recommended finding a surrogate domestic dog to nurse the pups instead of bottle-feeding them since it is important for painted dogs to be raised in a canine social structure.

In a few hours, the zoo found a female golden retriever female named Kassy with the help of the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare. Kassy had recently given birth to a litter of puppies and had milk to share with the painted dog pups.

The zoo said Kassy and her puppies arrived at the zoo the day after the painted dog pups were born. She immediately accepted them and began to nurse and care for them.

The zoo originally planned to reintegrate the painted dog pups with Bleu, Maurice and Colby. However, the zoo reported the adult painted dogs didn't show any suitable positive interest in the puppies, so they changed their plans.

Right now, the zoo is working to build a home for the puppies next to Bleu, Maurice and Colby so they can learn how to behave like painted dogs. Officials said growing up near the family will help instill natural painted dog behaviors.

The pups are living behind the scenes, but zoo officials said they may make their public debut soon.

Once the pups are older, they can either be integrated with the adult painted dogs or be moved to another facility where they will hopefully raise families of their own.

African painted dogs are a unique canid species native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are considered endangered, with fewer than 7,000 adult painted dogs living in the wild, according to the zoo. Human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation and disease have been cited as contributions to their decline.

According to the zoo, African painted dogs live in large packs in the wild with unique social dynamics and vocalizations. The success of a litter depends on the entire pack, as all adult dogs help to feed and raise the pups.

Golden Retriever Mom Steps In To Save 3 Rare African Painted Dog Pups At Potawatomi Zoo

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