Rescuers follow 3 dogs through wilderness to a pile of tiny puppies
This past January, a landowner in Webster Parish, Louisiana, stopped short when he noticed a mysterious family of dogs wandering his property.
The worried Good Samaritan posted about the dogs on Facebook. Soon, the news reached Justin Thomas, a local animal advocate, who raced to the scene.
Thomas carefully navigated through the heavy brush. Eventually, he found them — three adult dogs and seven 1-week-old puppies cowering in the wilderness.
“How the dogs ended up there in the middle of nowhere is unknown,” LaMa Animal Rescue and Support Services vice president Ashley McVey told The Dodo. “Unfortunately, [it’s] a very common occurrence where we live in northwest Louisiana.”
Thomas reached out to his colleagues at LaMa Animal Rescue and told them the news. Rescue board members Kristy Tilley and Sheri Benefield headed over and met him on the property. Together, the rescuers caught the two adult male dogs, whom they named Domino and Ranger. The mother dog, whom they named Abby, was skittish and harder to secure. For several hours, team members worked together to catch her, eventually slipping a lead around her neck and bringing her to safety.
Meanwhile, the puppies, who couldn't even walk, proved much easier to contain. Rescuers felt their hearts break as they transported each little dog into their vehicle.
“It’s sad no matter how seasoned you are,” McVey said. “Abby must have worked very hard to take care of her puppies in such adverse conditions.”
Rescuers took the pups to a veterinarian, where they received vaccinations, parasite checks, skin checks, testing and basic exams. Sadly, vets found that Domino and Ranger suffered from heartworm disease. Despite the troubling diagnosis, rescuers are doing everything they can to help the dogs heal, and they’re optimistic about their recovery.
Thankfully, Abby and her puppies were in great health.
“They are now several weeks old and thriving,” McVey said. “We already have rescue partners interested in the puppies. Abby is a great mom.”
In the coming weeks, Abby and her puppies will begin to connect with forever families. Once they’re healed, Domino and Ranger will get to meet with potential adopters, too.
“We are thrilled and relieved that they only have happy days ahead thanks to this incredible rescue effort,” McVey said.
