For rescuers with big hearts, each day brings new challenges. It’s not just about braving the dangers of each mission, but also managing the emotional toll of seeing so many devastating scenes.
One team at a non-profit group in Othello, Washington, was hoping for just one day without heartbreak when they came across something that hit them especially hard.
Near their shelter, sitting on the sidewalk, was an abandoned cardboard box. They already had a suspicion about what it might contain, and sadly, they were right when they opened it.
So Many Tiny Puppies Left Alone
As soon as the Adams County Pet Rescue team noticed the box near their building, they hurried to investigate.
On the box, it was written: “Found on HWY 17,” but the sight inside is what truly broke their hearts. Inside were helpless, furry babies. Their sadness was immediate, but they couldn’t help feeling frustrated too.
“I think that was the general response from everyone here that day,” rescue staff member Anita Plancarte told The Dodo. “‘Not again.’”
Inside were seven nine-week-old puppies who looked up at them from their cardboard shelter, clearly confused.
Although the staff hadn’t expected this situation, they knew they had to bring the pups inside and do everything possible to help them. Their hearts went out to the little ones.
The puppies, who had likely already been through a lot, were hesitant to trust the humans at first, but there were no serious issues.
“They seemed a little, tiny bit … maybe scared?” Anita said. “But not in an aggressive way or trying to bite people. They’re just unsure.”
Thankfully, the team had plenty of experience and knew just how to handle the situation.
“Be Part Of The Solution!”
The shelter workers in Othello, Washington had to care for all seven puppies, which wasn’t easy at the time.
They were running low on supplies like wet food and puppy kibble, so they asked for donations through their Facebook page
Aside from that, in that same Facebook post, they also voiced their disappointment and concern, asking people to help prevent situations like this from continuing.
“Crazy things happen to us all the time! We could decide to not share all the times this happen and just keep it to ourselves or we can share it with you. We share with you so people can see why we are full, why we need more people to spay and neuter their dogs and why when people are on the waiting list and wondering why it’s taking so long, they can see the reality of it. Why our staff is burned out along with every shelter staff person in Washington state!
Be part of the solution!” they wrote.
Thankfully, these seven puppies are now safe and on the path to better days. But that doesn’t guarantee the same outcome for the next abandoned litter.
That’s why it’s critical for everyone to understand how serious this problem is, and do whatever they can to help make sure scenes like this don’t keep happening.