An abandoned cardboard box by the side of a country road in Michigan was pounded by icy winds and rain on a chilly day.
Fortunately, a kind stranger saw the box and opened it to discover eight small puppies huddled up for warmth. An Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department officer rushed into action to rescue the puppies before the weather became worse after the anonymous helper contacted for help right away.
“When they arrived, they were freezing,” Jen Self-Aulgur, executive director of Harbor Humane Society, told The Dodo. “Two of their temperatures didn’t even register on a thermometer because they were below 90 degrees.”
Those two puppies were taken home by a caring employee who stayed up all night caring for and feeding them. Later, a veterinarian discovered they had pneumonia, but they are now being treated to get better.
“They would not have survived the night in that weather,” a Facebook post read. “They were soaking wet with low temperatures and a couple are still in critical condition, but we are hopeful that they all will pull through.”
All of the 4-week-old puppies are now recovering in experienced foster homes, where they are getting round-the-clock care.
“These next few weeks are critical for them and because we don’t know where they came from or what their conditions were like,” Self-Aulger said. “We will be watching closely for any side effects from their exposure when they were left out in the elements. But for now, they are eating, drinking, playing and getting to be normal puppies!”
These adorable babies aren’t available for adoption just yet. They’ll continue to be monitored until they’re fully healthy and thriving. Once that happens, they’ll be looking for loving families of their own.
“It breaks our hearts that things happened this way,” the Facebook post continued. “Had they reached out to Harbor, we would have been more than willing to help, and this dangerous situation could have been avoided.”
The puppies were saved just in time, and while they are currently enjoying plenty of TLC from their foster families, they will soon find their final homes.
Source: The Dodo