SHELTER: After roaming the neighborhood of Holland Heights for the past six weeks, this stray dog finally found shelter to give birth to at least three puppies.
Sentinel/ Dennis R.J. Geppert

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No one knows her name. No one knows where she came from. But their affection for her is as strong as her devotion toward her offspring.

Like any good mother she's protective and you don't want to get too close to her newborns -- she's bound to growl at you.

Nick and Bev Leegwater have lived in the Heights for nearly 30 years, but it was the shy stray dog who surfaced around New Year's Day that helped them make new friends in one of the city's oldest communities.

"We've gotten to know a lot of people we didn't know before," Bev said.

"We've always had a very good rapport with our next door neighbors around our property," said Nick, 63. "Now we've gotten to know a few more people because of the dog -- that's been neat," he said.

They met Ike and Judy DeGraaf, who first spotted the dog several weeks ago. Ike tracked the dog to her current dog-made safe haven, a small den she dug among dead trees near a dry creekbed.

"It's really kind of a neat thing. Everybody is concerned," said Bev, 56, noting with pride how folks in the neighborhood have been taking turns feeding the dog.

The dog has been wandering the cold, wet streets and snow-choked yards of Holland Heights for about six weeks.

The animal's arrival in the east side community coincided with this winter's coldest temperatures so far, a chilling fact not lost on her adoptive parents.

"She's a beautiful dog," Bev said, wondering out loud how the dog survived some of those frigid January nights.

Nick stressed that the dog, possibly a retriever-chow mix, has not been a nuisance or a threat.

He's been busy keeping the new shelter dry and warm, stuffing a couple of large T-shirts inside and making sure mom has plenty of fresh water and good food, especially now that the puppies have arrived.

On Tuesday, Nick was fussing over the medium-sized dog with the reddish brown hair.

Like the typical doting father, Nick quietly led a visitor down a narrow snow path, into a stand of trees where the den is located -- but not too close.

Earlier Tuesday, Nick had headed over to Chow Hound on Waverly Road.Pacing before the seemingly endless number of dog food choices, a clerk asked Nick if he needed help. He told his story and asked for the best chow for a nursing mother.

Next thing you know, Nick's headed out the door with a 2-pound bag of HealthWise Chicken Meal & Rice dog food.

"He said it was the best for the mother," said Nick.

He's the only person who's been able to get close enough to see at least three thriving puppies. "They look like they're in pretty good shape," he said with a broad smile.

Another new acquaintance of the Leegwaters is Mary TenHarmsel, who lives nearby and happens to have extensive experience with animal care.

TenHarmsel works for a pet disaster program of the local American Red Cross, a volunteer group that helps find shelter for pets whose owners have been displaced by fire or other events.

She said an area veterinarian, Dr. Eric Heitman of Ottawa Animal Hospital, has agreed to take the dog and her puppies, if the neighbors can figure out a safe way to gather up the animals for transport.

"I did offer to help Mary out ... to take care of the dog and the puppies, and try to nurse them back to health, and see if we can find good homes for them," Heitman said Tuesday.

While the offer is generous, what the Leegwaters and others would prefer is to hear from the dog's owner, who may be worrying about where his or her pet has gone.

"It would be great if someone called and said it was his," said Bev.

In the meantime, the people of Holland Heights will continue to look after her.

"Everybody's had a heart for this little dog," she said.





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