When I was 18 years of age my black Labrador dog Nickeeta had some beautiful puppies. They were so tiny and so very cute. I patted her on the back and told her what a good girl she had been and how she would make a wonderful mother to the puppies.

About 3 months or so after Nickeeta's pups were born I sat playing with them and giving them lots of love and care when I suddenly felt a tightening feeling in my stomach. I had a strong gut feeling that something was wrong with the puppies.

I asked my mother if we could take them to the vet for a check up. She told me to stop being so damn silly as the pups looked perfectly well and happy. Still I could not shake the feeling that something was not right.

Two days later we woke to find all 6 puppies were extremely ill and looked as though they would not make it through the day. We took the pups straight to the vet and we were told that they had tick bite fever. The vet told my mother that the pups would have to be put down as there was nothing he could do to save them.

My heart felt as though it was made of brittle glass and that it was thrown to the ground causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces. I began to sob my heart out for our puppies. I though of the pain Nickeeta would feel loosing her babies. I thought of their little lives being cut so very short. It all felt wrong and I suddenly had this deep hunger in me to save them. “It is not their time to go”, were the words that kept ringing in my ears over and over again.

I suddenly found myself begging my mother to please take the puppies home and give them a little more time. I pleaded with her to not put them to sleep but to give it another day or two. The vet told me that he would be surprised if they made it till the next morning. But still I pleaded and cried so much that my mother eventually said okay and we took the puppy’s home again. I can remember thanking God all the way home for letting the puppies come home with us.

When we got home I sat for hours and hours with the 6 puppies. I cradled them in my arms, cried with them and prayed with all of my heart that the Lord and all his heavenly angels would heal the pups and give them a miracle. I closed my eyes and tried to let all my emotions and feelings seep out of me. I watched over the puppies and cared for them.

That night I gave each puppy a loving hug and kiss then went to bed. I remember waking up hourly to check on them and make sure they were okay. The next morning we were totally amazed to wake up to happy barks. To our amazement the pups were running around happily playing chace and Nickeeta had a proud and grateful look on her face. We took them straight back to the vet to be checked over again. The vet was amazed and looked at us in disbelief. “The puppies are 100% fine, I really do not understand it. I was convinced that they would not make the night.”

I could understand it. I understood it perfectly well that the Lord had blessed those little pups with a miracle. He gave them a second chance of life. All six pups grew up to be healthy and happy dogs. They got a second chance of life and they lived it well. Nickeeta had her babies back and also went on to have many more happy little puppies. By Natasha Chamberlin