Most people begin their mornings thinking the day will go more or less the way they planned.
That was exactly what one Texas teacher believed when she set off for work, with no idea that her ordinary routine was about to take a very unexpected turn.
As Yolanda pulled into the parking lot at San Marcos High School, she had no way of knowing that five delicate little lives were about to appear in front of her.
Before she even had the chance to get out of her car, a small group of thin, drained puppies came running toward her.
They looked hungry, tired, and completely worn out, and their tiny faces said more than words ever could.
Seeing how badly they needed help, Yolanda simply could not drive away or pretend she had not noticed them.
She hurried into the school and found her coworker, senior assistant Belinda Peña, hoping together they could decide what needed to happen next.
A Cardboard Box And A Note
When Peña stepped outside to take a look, she spotted a cardboard box sitting near the school building. It didn’t take long to realize what had happened.
The puppies had been abandoned. They had escaped the box, but inside was a handwritten note that told their sad 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 message read.
The staff felt heartbroken. Without wasting a moment, they gathered the puppies, gave them water, and made sure they were safe from the hot summer sun.
Peña later admitted that it was pure luck that staff were on campus that day.
“If not, who knows what would have happened?” Peña told The Dodo.
They quickly contacted animal control to ensure the pups would be safely taken in. In the meantime, they comforted the little dogs as they wagged their tails and nuzzled up to their rescuers.
“They were the cutest things. They had big old ears … Just happy little puppies,” Peña said.
Before long, one of the teachers fell completely in love with one of the pups and decided to adopt her on the spot.
New Names, New Hope
That left four puppies still in need of care. School counselor Kay Lynn Dodd couldn’t bear to let them go to an uncertain fate.
“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.
Instead of sending them away, she brought the remaining four home herself, determined to give them love and stability.
She named them Rotund, Buttercup, Bandit, and Snickers.
In her home, the little pups blossomed. They played, snuggled, and soaked up affection from their foster mom.
Though they were thriving, they still longed for families of their own. Thanks to the compassion of a few kind teachers, their futures finally looked bright.