When you open your phone and scroll through social media, you usually expect to see friends and family enjoying their day.
But if you happened to follow the Napa County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center in California you may have come across a post that was truly devastating.
A total of 27 tiny dogs were heartlessly confined in overcrowded crates and left abandoned outside Calistoga.
Once they heard about the awful situation, the Napa shelter team quickly packed up what they needed and headed straight to the site.
Urgent Rescue Effort
Since the shelter was already stretched to its limits, they knew taking in this many dogs would only make things harder. So, they reached out for backup.
“Our shelter is overwhelmed, and we desperately need your help. On top of the daily stray and surrendered animals, we just took in 27 dumped Chihuahuas, pushing our already full shelter to the brink. Every kennel is bursting, and without immediate help, we are facing heartbreaking decisions,” the Napa County Animal Shelter wrote on Facebook.
Because the dogs couldn’t be placed into foster homes right away, they got in touch with several rescue groups who gladly agreed to take in some of the pups.
While the chihuahuas weren’t yet available for adoption, the California shelter encouraged the public to visit and adopt other dogs who had been waiting for homes. That would help free up space for the newly rescued pups.
And in the following days, the shelter’s phone began ringing nonstop.
“What an amazing community!! Thank you so much for your support!!! Your willingness to consider opening your heart and home to an animal in need makes a world of difference. We are so grateful for your kindness and dedication to positively impacting our pets’ lives by fostering your local shelter and spreading the word!” they wrote in an update.
Taking It Step by Step
It was clear that the shelter staff had a serious job ahead of them.
They had to give medical checks to every single pup and begin preparing the adoption paperwork so they could place them in loving homes as soon as possible.
And once the paperwork was ready, people came forward to fill it out and take dogs home.
“We have an update on the 25 chihuahuas brought to Napa County Animal Shelter: thanks to your incredible support and the help of Marin Humane (9 dogs, 8 are already adopted), Joybound (12 dogs plus a cute bonded senior couple), and Sacramento SPCA (4 dogs), these pups have found safe places to land!” they wrote.
Now, after making it through something truly awful, these sweet little dogs can finally move on and enjoy life with families who will love and care for them.
It was the best possible ending to a story that began in the worst way.