New puppies verses a jack russell

Question
Hi we just had new beagle puppies this morning.  The mommy is under a floor of a barn.  We also have a house dog, jack russell (female).  When we went out to check on new mommy and babies our jack russell came around with a dead puppy in her mouth.  Do you think she killed the puppy or was she just showing us a dead puppy.  The puppy was cold but not entirely stiff yet.  I dont think she killed it, but I know j russells can be aggressive.  Is there anything I can do to keep her from harming the other dogs babies?
thanks so much.

Answer
I don't know what you mean by the "mommy is under a floor of a barn".  I assume you mean this is a stray dog who found a safe nesting area under your barn.  In that case, contact immediately the Humane Society in your area (NOT the municipal shelter which will kill all of them most likely.)  if you do NOT have an SPCA in your area, Google Beagle rescue groups in your state or any dog rescue organization you can find.  This is not a healthy place for newborn puppies, as you see by the fact that one is already dead.  The mother Beagle AND her puppies need immediate veterinary examination and a warm safe place, as well as the mother Beagle needing high calorie and high quality food if she is to successfully feed these babies.  If your Jack Russell had killed the puppy, it would have been warm.  Rigor mortis takes time to set in.  Keep your JRT away from this mother Beagle and her puppies, if only for the safety and health of the JRT.  If this Beagle has not been vaccinated, she could be carrying Parvo virus.  If you can't locate IMMEDIATELY a rescue group, take that Beagle and her puppies OUT from under that barn.  Put them IN the barn in a large wooden box lined with lots of newspapers.  Close the barn door against night time predators.  Put an ad in your local paper and try to find the owner of this Beagle.  Although it's outrageous for anyone to allow their pet to be bred this way, it does happen and often a pregnant bitch will leave home in search of a 'safe' nesting area in which to have her pups.