The strange story of a female dog who used to be a famous hunter in the Mekong Delta region raising 5 porcupine rats at the same time surprised everyone.
Half believing, half doubting, we went to the house of Mr. Duong Van Hoai (the owner of the dog and the litter of mice) living in Vinh Thanh commune, Phuoc Long district, Bac Lieu province. When we saw it, we could not believe our eyes. In the corner of Mr. Hoai’s house was the “nest” of a large female dog and 5 baby mice.
A chance encounter
Before arriving in this area, we heard many rumors about the hunting dog of Mr. Duong Van Hoai’s family. People said that this female dog was a “killer” of rats. Its latest achievement was that it had killed nearly a dozen rats on a hunting trip with its owner. Despite its reputation, the dog now seemed to want to quit her job to become a “nanny” for her litter of 5 orphaned rats.
Ms. Doan Thi Ut and her dog named My are taking care of the mice.
Receiving us, Mrs. Doan Thi Ut (Mr. Hoai’s wife) could not hide her surprise at this paradoxical story. Mrs. Ut said: “My dog is truly a “killer” of rats. For more than 10 years, I have not raised a cat. My (the dog’s name) alone is enough to scare the rats to death.” But there is a strange thing that makes Mrs. Ut’s family and the people… surprised Although this dog is the nemesis of rats, it is quite gentle and friendly with baby rats.
When we asked Mr. Duong Van Hoai about the beginning and end of this interesting story, he told us: “During a hunting trip more than 2 months ago, after My and I had killed nearly 30 rats, something strange happened. My discovered a nest of rats in a cave near the edge of the rice field. At first, she tried her best to dig. When she got to the cave, My sat with her tongue out, trying to hide her sharp teeth from the female rat and her 5 baby rats. After a while, the female rat ran away, leaving behind 5 baby rats that had not yet opened their eyes. I found it strange, so I took the 5 baby rats home to raise.”
As for My, ever since the owner brought home the motherless baby mice, she has been hanging around them all day. Mr. Duong Van Tam (Mr. Hoai’s son) said: “The day my father brought home the baby mice, I thought they wouldn’t survive the next day with My. When I put the 5 mice in a small nest in the corner of the house, seeing My wandering around, I yelled at her not to harm the mice. But what surprised me was that the dog not only killed the mice but also took care of them as if they were its own children.” Mrs. Ut said: “Every time I mixed rice water with milk for the baby mice to drink, My was always nearby, licking their faces and fur, then they curled up together and slept soundly.”
According to Mr. Hoai, these baby mice were taken care of by his wife and the dog for nearly 20 days before they opened their eyes. During this time, the dog always took care of and protected the mice from attacks by others. But strangely, the dog only treated these 5 mice “nicely”, but never spared the other mice.
Mr. Duong Van Tam recalled the day My refused to eat because she accidentally almost killed a baby mouse. Mr. Tam said: “One day, My accidentally pressed on the baby mouse while sleeping, almost killing it. When she woke up, the dog acted strangely, not eating all day, her face was always sad as if blaming herself.” Mr. Tam’s story made us laugh. The story of a dog having feelings for a mouse has never been seen before, but this is a 100% true story that is happening at Mr. Duong Van Hoai’s house.
Attack people to protect “children”
Before taking us to visit My and her children, Mrs. Ut gave us very careful instructions: “You guys come and watch, but you have to stand far away. My is very protective of these rats, she is ready to bite anyone who tries to catch them.”
Although the owner had informed us about My’s temperament, we were still scared out of our wits. Being a mixed breed of German Shepherd, My was very big and tall. Her sharp teeth kept baring when she saw us. She rushed towards her friend who was with her when he tried to go over and catch a baby mouse to see.
“Mother and child dog and mouse” cuddling each other
The chum rat looks so… adorable.
Seeing a huge, ferocious dog showing affection, caressing and taking care of the baby mice made us unable to believe our eyes. According to Mr. Tam, My sometimes used her sharp teeth to catch fleas for the mice. In response to My’s affection, the baby mice always clung to their “mother’s” feet. When the dog slept, the mice ran around and played around their “mother” and then retreated into the dog’s belly to sleep.
Perhaps living with the dog since they were young, these five mice gradually started to behave like dogs. Every time the dog bared its fangs, the mice also bared their teeth and growled along with their mother. “When these mice grow up and learn to bark like their mother, that would be a great thing,” Mr. Hai, Mr. Hoai’s neighbor, said jokingly.
After more than 2 months of being cared for by Mrs. Ut and My, the mice have grown up and are surprisingly adorable. The story of the dog My becoming the “unwilling” mother of 5 little mice has become a “hot” topic in the countryside. Every day, Mr. Hoai’s family has to receive dozens of people from all over to see the “mouse-dog” mother and her children with their own eyes.