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Abandoned Dog Dotes On Brood

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By VALERIE KALFRIN

vkalfrin@tampatrib.com

Published: February 7, 2009

TAMPA - An 18-month-old Basenji mix that was abandoned at a county dump just before giving birth to seven pups is doting on her brood, animal officials said Friday.

The dog that rescuers named Anna and her puppies - four males and three females - are in the care of a foster parent, who noted Anna shows no signs of being too traumatized to care for them, said Marti Ryan, a spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services.

"She is nursing them, cleaning them and protecting them properly," Ryan said.

She said the pups won't be ready for adoption until they are at least 8 weeks old.

Authorities are trying to determine who abandoned the pregnant pooch before dawn on Jan. 28 at the solid waste site in the 8000 block of Linebaugh Avenue. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is offering a $1,000 reward for information.

"She's a sweet little mommy that didn't deserve this," Ryan said. "She was thrown away like someone's trash."

Because of the dog's gentle demeanor and good health, investigators think she was a well-loved pet before she was abandoned.

Abandoning a dog is a crime, Ryan said. Even if the owner fell into financial straits, there are alternatives - such as the humane society - to leaving the dog at the dump, she said.

Ryan asked anyone with information about the dog or its former owner to call Animal Services at (813) 744-5660 or e-mail info@hillsboroughcounty.org.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800.

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