Jake, a volunteer dog walker from California, was out for a peaceful walk along the edge of a canyon when something unexpected caught his attention.
What began as a quiet day quickly took a dramatic turn when he heard strange echoing noises from across the street. Curious, he made his way over — and what he discovered left him stunned. Inside an old, forgotten pool were ten pairs of eyes staring back at him.
Tossed Away Without Mercy
To Jake’s astonishment, the source of the sounds turned out to be a group of tiny puppies — ten in total. As someone who volunteers for the City of Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, Jake knew just who to call.
He immediately phoned the Center, which happened to be located just down the road. Staff responded quickly and safely transported the puppies to their facility.
Despite their rough start, the ten little pups—only around three weeks old—were in surprisingly good health. But there was one thing missing: their mom.
Determined to get to the bottom of what happened, the Center began looking into it as a potential animal cruelty case. They quickly turned to surveillance footage, and what they found was deeply disturbing.
The video showed someone heartlessly dumping all ten puppies from the back of a car.
“The incident happened at 2:30 am on July 24 when a suspect tossed the puppies out the back of his vehicle into the bushes next to the road leading to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center. Hours later, an animal services volunteer dog walker found the 3-week-old puppies in a vinyl puppy pool,” the California Center wrote in their website post.
Thankfully, authorities were able to trace the suspect not long after. Soon, they located the mother dog and brought her to the Center, where she was finally reunited with her puppies.
The emotional reunion made it clear: these dogs had desperately missed each other.
Thanks to the efforts of the Mission Viejo Animal Services team, the mother—now named Holly—and her pups were placed with a seasoned foster caregiver.
Seeing the furry family run around a big yard instead of huddling in a cramped pool was nothing short of heartwarming. After everything they’d been through, they were finally safe, cared for, and full of joy.
Awaiting Their Forever Homes
For now, Holly and her ten sweet puppies—Chip, Caramel, Mint, Maple, Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Butterscotch, Cookies N Cream, Ripple, and Coffee — will remain in foster care until they’re old enough to be adopted.
The Center took this moment to remind the public of the importance of responsible pet ownership.
“This disturbing incident serves as a reminder that when residents are faced with the decision of whether or not to relinquish an animal, MVAS has options,” the Animal Center concluded.
With hope, this heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting story serves as a powerful reminder: our pets depend on us, and they deserve love, respect, and proper care—no matter what.