Shelter Gets Call About Mama Dog, Then They See Her Fur—'We Have a Leopard'

Newsweek

11-06-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A shelter received a call about a mama dog and her puppies who were in desperate need of help, unprepared for what their staff would find.
On Thursday, May 29, the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) in Phoenix was contacted by a good Samaritan about a dog with distinctive spots they would come to learn was called Rainbow Brite. She and her litter of nine pups were in desperate need of help.
"The good Samaritan had seen Rainbow Brite tied on a short leash in a backyard in full sun without water," Joe Casados from AHS told Newsweek. "The temperature that day in Phoenix was 99 degrees [Fahrenheit]."
When staff from AHS arrived on the scene, including AHS Emergency Animal Medical Technicians (EAMTs), two things immediately caught their attention: one was Rainbow's distinctive leopard-print coat coloring; and the other was the distressing condition all of the dogs were in.
"We don't know how or when she received her spots, but the condition she was in when our EAMTs arrived on scene indicated she was in need of help," Casados said.
Rainbow's owner agreed to surrender her and her puppies to the AHS after concluding they "could no longer care for them."
By then, the EAMTs had swung into action, transporting Rainbow and her puppies to the AHS Lazin Animal Foundation Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital, one of the largest, level-one trauma hospitals for homeless pets in the nation.
"The veterinary team used cool towels to bring Rainbow Brite's temperature down from 105.7 to 102.5," Casados said. "She was also underweight, which is especially concerning as a nursing mom who needs calories to help keep her, and her puppies, healthy."
Though Rainbow and her litter are expected to make a full recovery, things could have played out very differently that day, had the AHS not been tipped off.
"Rainbow Brite was in an incredibly dangerous situation when she was found," Casados said. "Being left outside in the Arizona sun with no water, and puppies to care for, would have very likely lead to a poor outcome for Rainbow Brite and her puppies."
Things have gotten considerably better since for Rainbow and her nine puppies, who have been nicknamed "the Sprites" by staff at AHS.
Once they were all stable, the dogs were transferred to AHS Mutternity Suites, a dedicated, quiet space for pregnant and nursing moms and their puppies.
In the meantime, Rainbow Brite has emerged as something of a celebrity with a video of her and her pups proving popular on the AHS TikTok channel @azhumanesociety.
"We have a leopard," a caption accompanying the clip states. The video has already been watched over 72,000 times.
Rainbow Sprite and her puppies have moved in with a foster home where they will continue to gain weight, recover and grow. They will then return for vaccinations as well as spay or neuter surgeries before being put up for adoption.
"We are still learning about Rainbow Brite's personality and her foster family will help provide us with a full report, which will give us more information on the type of home she would be best suited for," Casados said.
It is crucial for pet owners to exercise caution in hot weather conditions. The charity PETA said that, in 2024, at least 111 animals, primarily dogs, died from heat-related causes in the U.S.
Back in 2022, five puppies died and four more had to be rushed to a medical center after being left outside in a Texas backyard in high temperatures.