In the quiet hours of the night, something unexpected and deeply moving unfolded leaving residents in North Carolina speechless.
A faint whimper led to the discovery of a cardboard box filled with tiny, abandoned puppies.
The person who found them didn’t hesitate. They immediately contacted the Raleigh Police Department.
Six Puppies Packed Into A Cardboard Box
“Raleigh PD called and said, ‘I’ve found this box of puppies. Can the rescue take them in?’ And we said, ‘Yes!’ We kinda jumped into action,” a representative for Hope Animal Rescue in Durham, NC, shared with The Dodo.
The team at Hope Animal Rescue quickly mobilized, ready to welcome the unexpected arrivals into their care.
When they reached the scene, the officer was already there, keeping watch over the puppies.
Six tiny pups had been crammed into the box, stacked on top of one another.
“We were trying to pull the little runt from the bottom, because she was underneath all of her brothers and sisters,” the rescue added.
After a few minutes of comfort and gentle handling, the puppies were taken to the rescue director’s home to warm up and settle in.
Though still very young, all six appeared to be in good condition. Each had all their paws and toes, and most importantly, they were safe.
“Our sweet little ‘box’ litter is doing so well! These babies are teeny tiny and oh-so-adorable. They have the cutest little puppy bellies and they’ve already mastered the art of creating a puppy pile,” Hope Animal Rescue wrote in a Facebook update.
New Homes And New Beginnings
To ensure they received proper care, the puppies were divided among three foster homes. Each home took in two siblings, since managing all six at once would be overwhelming.
Once settled, their personalities began to emerge.
“The runt – she was definitely a little bit more shy at first. The black and tan ones, they were pretty spunky and ready to go,” the rescue recalled.
Interest in the litter grew quickly. It didn’t take long before people began lining up to adopt them.
“Usually a litter with a story like that will generate a good deal of interest. So it was good to see some of these great families, came out and met them, and adopted them,” the rescue said.
All six puppies were adopted into loving homes within two weeks of each other.
Caring for an entire litter is never simple, but seeing them grow into happy, healthy dogs made every effort worthwhile.
It was a testament to the dedication of the rescue team and volunteers and a reminder of the importance of animal rescue work.