8 puppies — and their mom — seen in ‘heart-wrenching’ condition. Now they’ll need homes
A dog was found tethered to a tree with her eight puppies “deep in the woods” in Washington, a nonprofit said.
It was a “heart-wrenching sight,” the Knotty Creek Animal Rescue said about the March 30 discovery.
Now the animals will eventually need new homes after they were abandoned in Willard, rescuers said. Willard is about a 65-mile drive northeast from Portland, Oregon.
The mom and her puppies — seven boys and one girl — were recovered and taken to the animal rescue in Sweet Home, Oregon, where the mom is now being treated for an injured leg, the group said.
Since the animals were taken in, the rescue has been working to help them feel more comfortable and safe around humans, the nonprofit said in a post.
The puppies are likely between 9 and 12 weeks old, the nonprofit’s executive director Bailey Porter told McClatchy News April 3. They are no longer nursing.
Porter said they believe the mom is a Central Asian shepherd, but a DNA test would be needed to know for sure.
Although the puppies have been making progress, only three of them are ready to be adopted, Porter said.
“The five other puppies need more time with people who know how to desensitize an animal afraid of humans,” Porter said.
People can help those puppies by fostering them.
It also shouldn’t be long before they are all ready for new homes, Porter said.
Porter said the best homes for these dogs would include a large property and an understanding of their breed.
“I’ve worked with countless breeds and I believe these might be the smartest animals I have had the pleasure to work with, stubborn but smart,” Porter said.
Knotty Creek Animal Rescue is a new nonprofit that was created to rescue and rehabilitate animals, according to its website.
Anyone interested in adopting or fostering these dogs can contact the rescue through its website.
The group has also created the Grizzly Bag Program, which helps feed homeless animals with the help of donations.
This story was originally published April 3, 2024 at 2:28 PM with the headline "8 puppies — and their mom — seen in ‘heart-wrenching’ condition. Now they’ll need homes."
