Mutt's Promise by Julie Salamon, Jill Weber (Illustrated by)

She's been on her own for a while now and is traveling past the farm when she hears an animal fight going on.  It's a hen being attacked by some weaselly looking thing and she goes to the hen's rescue.  When the attacker has run off, the owner comes out and checks over the chicken.  He needs to tend its wounds, so he gives the dog a pat and goes in the house with the chicken.  When the dog doesn't leave, he feeds her.  And he calls her Mutt.

Dial Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 8th.

If you have had dogs or like dogs, this book will appeal to you.  Mutt is pregnant but doesn't know it.  She finds out when birthing time is near.  She has four puppies.  The young son of the transient workers loves Mutt and thinks all her puppies are special.  He even names them.  His favorite is the runt of the litter; he calls her Luna.  But transients move on.  The owner of the farm can't afford to feed them all, so he offers the puppies for free once they are old enough.  

One little girl is taken with the two almost matching female puppies.  Her parents said one but they change to two after discussion.  They're both named Happy, one in English and the other in Spanish.  The little girl knows both languages and she's very happy with her new playmates.

The remaining puppies don't have such a good time.  The man that comes after them isn't kind, he's not even nice.  The owner wants them gone, so he lets him take them.  Then he worries after the fact.  So does Mutt.  She didn't like that man.

The pups have many more adventures before they finally settle down.  Life is tough when you're on the run.  You can't trust everybody.  But you can be lucky...