A 63-day pregnant dog runs to my door, desperately seeking help

It was an unusually warm afternoon in early spring when I first noticed the commotion outside my front door. The sun was casting long shadows across the driveway, and birds were chirping optimistically in the budding trees. When I looked out the living room window, I saw her—a visibly pregnant dog, her belly swollen with impending life, lurching toward the door. Her eyes were a mix of panic and determination, a silent plea for help that was immediately obvious.

The mixed-breed dog, with a coat the color of autumn leaves, looked exhausted. She hesitated at the door, glancing back and forth as if weighing her options. But then, as if she had finally decided she had found her haven, she let out a series of plaintive groans of urgency.