GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  Cher, a tiny mother dog, nuzzled her small, wiggling family and licked their faces clean Friday morning.

It didn’t matter that the puppies had a different color fur, or would probably be bigger than her in the next several weeks.

The small litter, consisting of two males and two females, were taken in by Cher after they were found abandoned in a dumpster behind Waccamaw Hospital.

Their foster mother is doing everything she is supposed to, said Cher’s owner, Charlotte Troy.

Cher is licking and cleaning the pups, as well as feeding them throughout the day. Troy said.

At night, she has help from a team of humans who bottle feed the orphans.

“They’re going to be so surprised when they open their eyes,’’ Troy said. “That’s the only mother they know.”

Thrown away

The litter’s saga began after a resident walking his dog near Waccamaw Hospital found the litter abandoned more than a week ago.

The puppies were estimated to be about a day old, Troy said. They were squirming and whining inside a black plastic bag.

The puppies were soon brought to Benji’s Bed and Breakfast, a dog boarding business in Pawleys Island.

Cher had just finished weaning her own litter of healthy pups, Troy said.

She took to her new family, and immediately began nursing them, she said. She nipped off their tiny umbilical cords, which were still attached.

The small dog is receiving vitamins to help her produce enough milk for the extra puppies, Troy said.

The orphaned puppies turned a week old on Feb. 12.

Their small legs pump as their noses search for their food.

The puppies will soon have their eyes open, Reamy said.

She plans to adopt at least one puppy, and homes are being sought for the others.

The puppies are thought to be a mixture of Labrador retriever and rottweiler, Reamy said.

Troy credits Cher with taking on the extra duties of feeding the puppies until they are about six weeks old.

“She deserves everything,’’ Troy said. “She is a good mommy.”

The puppies will be available for adoption in about a month.

Donations are being sought for food and medical care for the puppies. Call 237-7117 for information.

By Kelly M. Fuller

Kfuller@gtowntimes.com