On a mountain trail near her home -- one she hikes almost every day -- a woman stumbled upon a dog she had never seen before, and an instant connection brought the canine home. But about three weeks later, she learned she had rescued more than one dog.
Jinny Oh, who is known on Instagram as @jinnyohh, told Newsweek she was walking the trail with a friend and her two dogs when she bent down to pet one. Except, it wasn't her canine. She looked down and found a husky sitting alone in the mountains of Mexico.
"I just assumed that she belonged to someone 'cause on the weekends, there are a lot of people who go up to the mountains with their mountain bicycles," she said. "I asked all the people who were in that area, 'Is this your dog?'...She was just a stray."
Oh decided that if the dog -- now named Chilaquiles -- willingly followed her down the mountain, she would take responsibility for her. The husky didn't hesitate. After surprising her boyfriend with the furry addition, the pair brought the dog to the vet for vaccines and a grooming. Oh said she's been an "angel" since bringing her home.
But at a follow-up appointment two weeks later for an additional vaccine, they got news neither of them expected: the dog was pregnant.
Nearly two weeks after the rescue, an X-ray revealed Chilaquiles was carrying six puppies, expected to arrive this weekend. Oh's heart sank. She worried she wouldn't be able to care for them after her boyfriend initially raised the idea of an abortion in case of pregnancy even before they received the news.
"I just feel so connected to her that I knew that if I made her go through that [abortion] surgery, she would never forgive me," Oh said.
To avoid an abortion, Oh began searching for help. She posted the dog's story on local Facebook pages, asking whether anyone might be interested in a puppy, and was met with more than 100 responses. She later asked those interested adopters to fill out a form, with 15 people completing it.
As interest grew, Oh felt assured she could support Chilaquiles through the birth, knowing the pups would have a future home. She prepared a guest room as a whelping space and has two veterinarians on call. Her other dogs are being kept separate until after the puppies arrive and things calm down. She has also been binge-watching puppy labor videos to better understand what to expect.
The puppies will be with Oh for at least eight weeks. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recommends puppies stay with their mother for eight to 12 weeks, as the period is critical for development.
In the meantime, she'll be screening the applications -- maybe keeping a puppy for herself.
Oh shared the rescue story on an Instagram account dedicated to her life with her boyfriend and their now three dogs, @meuandthree. In the clip, Chilaquiles is resting on Oh's lap, happily accepting pets and resting easily now that she is finally safe. Within five days, the clip had more than 183,000 views and 110 comments.
"I just know whoever is going to adopt those little babies is going to be so in love," one viewer wrote.
Another added: "She's in good hands. Glad you found her."
A third pointed out: "I know you're doing well because she doesn't look concerned at all."