Many people start their mornings expecting routine and familiarity. For one Texas teacher, her day began with something far from ordinary.
As Yolanda approached San Marcos High School, where she worked, she didn’t know that five little lives were waiting for her in the parking lot.
Out of nowhere, a group of malnourished puppies came running toward her. With pleading eyes, they seemed to ask her for the one thing they needed most: compassion.
Shaken and moved, Yolanda knew she couldn’t ignore them. She went inside the school, quickly seeking out her coworker, senior assistant Belinda Peña.
The Puppies Find Kindhearted Helpers
When Peña stepped outside to look, she noticed a cardboard box near the school. It didn’t take long to realize what had happened.
The tiny pups had been abandoned, left behind with nothing but that box as proof of their ordeal.
The pups escaped the box and inside it, there was a handwritten note that told the rest of the story:
“Dog shelter didn’t want them. We can’t take care of them. The original owner wanted to throw them. I’m sure you can do something. I’m sorry,” the note read.
The staff’s hearts broke. Without hesitation, they picked up the pups, offering them safety and water under the hot summer sun.
Peña later admitted how fortunate it was that staff happened to be on campus that day.
“If not, who knows what would have happened?” Peña told The Dodo.
The school staff called animal control to ensure the puppies would be taken to safety. In the meantime, they couldn’t resist spending time with them.
“They were the cutest things. They had big old ears … Just happy little puppies,” Peña added.
One teacher’s heart melted completely, and before long, she decided to adopt one of the pups herself.
Hoping For Forever Families
As for the remaining four, counselor Kay Lynn Dodd felt an overwhelming tug on her heart. When the animal control officer arrived, she hesitated.
“The officer was like, ‘Well, it is the end of the day, I can’t guarantee somebody’s going to be able to be there at the shelter to intake them. And I [was] like, ‘I can’t have that on my conscience,'” Dodd told The Dodo.
So instead of letting them leave, she carried the puppies home with her, determined to give them the care they needed while they waited for permanent homes.
She named them Rotund, Buttercup, Bandit, and Snickers.
In her home, the little furballs thrived. They played, snuggled, and soaked up every bit of love their foster mom offered.
Though they cherished their time with her, the pups still longed for families who would cherish them forever.
And with the kindness that first saved them, it seemed their happy ending was finally within reach.