Need Help Editing--Really Short (Animal Lovers Beware!!!)

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Hi! This is just part of a new story I've started and I'd really like some help editing it...the smallest thing is appreciated! Just a lil info before I post it...the sections marked with a ~ are suppose to be in the puppies voice, the normal typing is like my narrative. Okay...here it goes...(oh, and let me know if it's sad enough! I want it to be sad! Thanks :D) A small brown and white puppy lay beside his mother, trying to warm up against her declining body. He crawled to her head and nudged her chin, crying quietly. She moved her head down to look at her puppy and licked its small head. He nuzzled against her neck, comforted by his mother’s affection. He looked up at her; her eyes were closed, her cheeks hollow. ~All my mom does now is urge me to eat; it’s all she can do. That’s what she says. She says I need to eat and stay strong; but what about her? I see my mom changing, growing smaller. I don’t know why, but she hasn’t stood up in two days. I try to help her, but I’m just too little. So I eat, so I can grow up big and strong, and help my mom stand up again. The puppy waddled on top of his moms face and closed his eyes. ~It’s okay. Until then, I’ll just keep her safe and warm. Squeaky brakes at the mouth of the alley startled the puppy and he struggled to sit up. A white van idled at the curb; its large driver emerged from around the back, walking towards the two dogs at the end of the alley. The puppy jumped up and licked his mothers face frantically. ~Wake up mom! Someone’s coming, we gotta run. Let’s go! Come on! Mom? The puppy stared down at his mother’s unmoving face, and turned to the intruder. He jumped off his mom, and barked furiously at him. He tried desperately to scare of the man, to protect his mother, but he just kept coming. The puppy cowered backwards against his mom, still barking. ~Mom! Mom! The man reached for the puppy, who snapped at his hand, but thick gloves protected him. He grabbed the puppy’s scruff and lifted him; holding him safely away from his body. The man put the puppy into a padded cage in the back of the van, and returned to his mother, sheet in hand. He returned a minute later and placed the mom into a cage beside the puppy. She was wrapped gently in a plain white sheet; only her nose sneaking out from beneath it. ~Oh good, that’ll keep her warm.