Kaya & Puppie is a 1 year old Mix-Breed in Hawthorne, NJ, who needs $2,000 for surgery.

A beautiful mother husky was picked up as a stray and was curled tightly on a cold cement floor—giving birth in the middle of an overcrowded, inner-city shelter. With no comfort, no safety, and no quiet, she instinctively tucked her newborns beneath her body. She refused the blanket she was offered and instead used her raised bed as a shield, which was the only protection she had to offer her babies.

When RBARI came to her rescue, she showed teeth when they approached her, but not aggression, more like desperation. And yet, the moment a kind hand reached out to leash her and gently move her babies to a blanket, she softened. She knew they were there to help. Still, they had to leave them behind and quickly mobilize her to find a foster placement. As one overwhelmed rescue after another had to decline, RBARI and A Pathway to Hope joined forces to give this mama and her seven newborns a chance. They couldn't say no.

Kaya is now with a foster family, but recently, they found her hiding under a table, panting, weak, and in critical condition. She was rushed to the hospital, where staff had to immediately triage and carry her to the back for emergency care. One of her mammary glands had developed an aggressive abscess. Despite intensive care and hospitalization for 5 days, her tissue is now severely damaged, purple, and oozing, and the pain has spread to her back leg, affecting her ability to walk.

💛 Kaya needs emergency surgery to debride the dead tissue and insert a drain. Her surgical team is hoping to avoid a full mastectomy, but won’t know the extent of the damage until they begin.

She remains on IV fluids, strong antibiotics, and round-the-clock pain medication. Her body is exhausted, but Kaya is still fighting.

Her pups are safe and loved in foster care—but they miss their mama.

Please make a gift to help cover Kaya's emergency surgery and care and the daily needs of her sweet pups. Your donation means warmth, safety, and a fighting chance for this brave mama and her newborns. Together, we can make sure this family’s life is filled with love and not fear. Thank you!

Update 10/12/25 Kaya's surgery went extremely well, and she is making fantastic progress. So much so that she is now available for adoption!

3/21/26 Update

Thank you to everyone who supported Kaya and her puppies on their healing journey! Kaya is now doing well and, she was adopted by her foster family. She had a rough time at first as she developed an infection when she was spayed, but she is all healed and enjoying her foster siblings. we are also happy to share that all of her puppies have been adopted and are thriving.