Mary Lou's story began in one of the darkest places imaginable - but her spirit never stopped shining. Heavily pregnant and dependent on the person who should have cared for her, Mary Lou was abandoned inside a crate and left on the side of the road. No food. No water. No shelter. Yet even in that moment of betrayal, Mary Lou did the most remarkable thing: she became a mother. Inside that crate, she gave birth to 11 tiny puppies. By the time animal control found her, many of her babies had already been lost. A few more precious lives slipped away in the days that followed at the shelter. With only three puppies remaining - and Mary Lou herself in heartbreaking condition, emaciated with painfully inflamed skin - she was urgently flagged for rescue and brought to Take Paws Rescue. That's when her second chance began. A loving foster welcomed Mary Lou into their home, and with nourishing meals, supplements, and gentle care, her body slowly began to heal. Through it all, Mary Lou never stopped being the devoted mom her puppies needed. She nursed them, cleaned them, and watched over them with the most tender dedication. "Through every hardship, she never stopped wagging her tail. She simply needed someone to believe in her." Along the way, her foster discovered something unique about Mary Lou - she is hearing impaired. But that hasn't slowed her down one bit. Mary Lou navigates the world beautifully, guided by her attentiveness to people and animals around her. She watches closely, learns quickly, and bonds deeply. Now healthy and thriving, Mary Lou has gained 20 pounds and weighs a strong 55 lbs. This 2-year-old white Pitbull mix has the biggest heart and the gentlest soul. She is dog-friendly, cat-friendly, and absolutely loves people. Her puppies are nearly weaned, and Mary Lou will soon be spayed and fully vaccinated. For the first time in her life, this brave, loving girl is ready to find a home of her own - a family who will cherish her, protect her, and give her the lifetime of love she has always deserved. Mary Lou has already proven how strong and loving she is. Now she's just waiting for someone to believe in her forever. PLEASE READ BELOW: If you are interested in meeting and/or adopting, the first step is to complete an application and read all of our FAQs: https://www.takepawsrescue.org/adopt Please note: Information to determine if you might be a match for one of our animals can only be found on our application. *An inquiry, questions or introduction through Petfinder is NOT an application* All known details about our animals are posted on their profile and updated daily. Other info will be discussed in detail with the foster during the application review process. Due to the high volume of introductions/questions received we ask you to submit an application (that application can be used for any dog with Take Paws Rescue). The adoption fee for adult dogs covers age appropriate vaccinations, microchip, spay/neuter if not yet performed, heartworm test & appropriate heartworm treatment by the rescue's vet. All dogs in our care are also kept up-to-date on HW/Flea Prevention. For more on this, or for additional information, including the adoption process and our adoption fee scale for all our adoptable pets (including an explanation about Benefactor Dogs), please see our FAQs page: https://www.takepawsrescue.org/faq Any breed labels used by Take Paws Rescue, its employees/volunteers, or on vet records provided cannot be guaranteed. Breed labels are given based on information obtained during intake and/or best guesses based on appearance and/or temperament of the dogs and Take Paws Rescue gives no assurance to the accuracy of these labels. Labels are necessary for postings to many animal networking sites, such as our website, Chewy, Pet Finder, and others. These are in no way a guarantee. Additionally, exact age and potential size cannot be guaranteed. ***Take Paws Rescue saves dogs from high-kill shelters across the South, owner surrenders, and discarded dogs with uncertain futures. All of our animals live in foster homes where they are socialized, and well cared for. An application will be required to make sure it's the perfect match!