Puppies rescued from Dumpster drop-off
• Small carrier with 6 young dogs makes neon plea for help
By Sean Pearson
Homer Tribune
Someone apparently feeling no longer able to care for six young puppies went to relatively drastic measures over the weekend to find families for the 9-week-old Australian Shepherd mixes.
“All six of the puppies were found at a Dumpster, crammed together in a small airline carrier,” said Homer Animal Shelter Director Sherry Bess.
“The word ‘help’ was written all over the carrier in bright orange paint, and ‘Please help. Take a puppy,’ spray painted in the snow nearby.
Bess said this kind of thing happens a lot.
“More than people think,” she said.
HOMER TRIBUNE/Ryan Ridge - Six puppies - estimated to be about 9 weeks old - were abandoned in a small carrier sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend.
“The puppies reeked to high heaven because they had been laying there in their own urine and feces for who knows how long,” Bess said. “They were stinky, wet, scared and very cold.”
Bess said she called a young friend who volunteers at the shelter and asked if she could help out in an “emergency”
“She and her mom came over, put on rubber gloves, and hauled each puppy out – one at a time,” Bess explained. “We bathed them, blow-dried them and wormed them. For a while there, it was pretty messy.”
After spending more time with the puppies, Bess said she found them all to be very socialized and comfortable around humans.
“These little pups have been around people and are very affectionate,” she said. “They love to be held and are all really sweet dogs.”
When asked about the method in which the pet owners chose to get rid of their puppies, Bess said she sees it as an issue of not taking responsibility.
“That’s an awful lot of mouths to feed, and I think some people think there is a stigma to taking a pet to the pound,” she said. “But I do think the owners were trying to find the puppies a good home. They could’ve just killed them, which is what some people do. At least these people put them in a place where others could easily find them.”
That’s not always the case.
Bess said a woman called Monday to say she found a tiny puppy abandoned in the woods between Alaskan Suites and Baycrest Fuel and C Store on the hill.
“The woman said she heard whimpering, and then found this puppy that was barely 8 weeks old,” Bess said. “He was shivering in a cardboard box, and there was a very small, empty food bowl nearby. If she hadn’t heard him, I doubt he would have survived another night. It was so cold and windy out there.”
The woman was able to find a safe home for the puppy on her own.
“I think sometimes people feel like they are between a rock and a hard place, and don’t see a way out,” Bess said. “But they need to know that leaving animals like that is against the law, and they can be charged with abandonment.”
Bess said one way out for people who find themselves with extra kittens, puppies or other pets, is to put an ad about them on the radio or in the newspaper.
Or – better yet – get them spayed and neutered, and prevent the problem before it happens.
Homer Animal Friends offers a 40 percent discount on spaying and neutering. Those with a disability or on public assistance can spay or neuter their animals for $10. If people are still having trouble with the expense, Bess encouraged them to call HAF and describe their situation.
“We’re going to do everything we can to help them out,” Bess said. “We love animals here. We’re more interested in helping them than scolding anyone.”
Bess said one of the female puppies has already been adopted out. There are now two males and three females. Come to the animal shelter and love on a few puppies. Maybe the right one will pick you out.
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Posted by Newsroom on Dec 2nd, 2009 and filed under Headline News, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Posted by Newsroom on Dec 2nd, 2009 and filed under Headline News, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
10 Responses for “Puppies rescued from Dumpster drop-off”
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It’s incidents like this that make me lose hope for the human race.
Please get your dogs and cats neutered. An expense now, and I know that sometimes the money is hard to come by, but, you will save the lives of these precious animals. They didn’t ask to be born into this situation, so the least we can do is to prevent it. My heart goes out to these precious animals.
235-SPAY
HOMER ANIMAL FRIENDS LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM
Do your part to help reduce the number of unwanted and stray dogs and cats; please spay and neuter your pets.
If you are unable to afford the full cost of the operation for your pet, Homer Animal Friends offers owners of dogs and cats a subsidy from our organization equal to approximately 40% of the cost of the operation. In addition, if the owner supplies written proof of being on public assistance, our organization will pay all but $10.00 of the cost.
HOMER ANIMAL FRIENDS IS A 100% VOLUNTEER GROUP!
All of our money comes from our own fundraising efforts. We receive NO state or federal money. Due to our very limited funds, eligibility is for the Homer and Anchor Point areas only. Exceptions are made for animals adopted from the Homer Animal Shelter. Any animal adopted from the Homer Animal Shelter is eligible to use our program, no matter where they end up living.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Pick up an application from BARB’S VIDEO and complete it.
Contact HOMER VETERINARY CLINIC at 235-8960 to make an appointment for the spay/neuter of your pet.
On the day of the appointment, bring the completed application with you. The cost of the operation that you are required to pay will reflect a deduction for the Homer Animal Friends subsidy.
Vaccinations are advised, but not mandatory, for you pet’s operation. Homer Animal Friends will not be responsible for vaccination costs.
Questions? Are you interested in donating financially to the cause? If so, please call Homer Animal Friends at 235-SPAY (235-7729)
Thank you
This is so sad. Please, if you cannot take care of your puppies or dogs, please don’t let them suffer out in the cold. Please be responsible and take them to where they can have the chance of life and be cared for. I am in tears reading this!
I would like to donate. I am an out of stater, though, so I’ll need the area code to dial before your number. Thanks for all you do to help the animals.
I own 10 acres in Anchor Point and hope to retire there someday. I’ll keep your phone number just in case I might be able to volunteer for your organization if I do make it up there for good.
God Bless you all in your efforts to love his creatures!
Thank you so much for your interest in donating to the cause, Leslie!
The entire state of Alaska has the same area code: 907.
Have a great day!
This breaks my heart. Thank you for taking them in to warmth and clean them up. Many people are dumping pets they have had for years due to unemployment and homelessness as it is nationwide. My pets are my family and my kids familiy so I do have a hard time understanding why they don’t take them to a warm area to get rid of them. When I was left with 2 young kids and 8 large dogs, we voted who got to eat that day. I kept them as I couldn’t sell them to people that wanted to cross bred to make a really mean dog! With dogs for over 60 years, I have only had one litter that was planned. I keep my dogs in my house especially in the winter. We animals lovers do stick together and look out for homeless animals. ( sure had my share of hungry homeless animals). Not that I wanted them but couldn’t turn my back on them. I don’t let my animals breed. Stopped being a breeder after the 1st litter (was part of my contract). Couldn’t find good homes, kept them. How I wish spay neuter clinics were free to stop this unwanted breeding and the death of pets. God bless the animal lovers as they always do right by the animal first.
I no longer live in Homer or Anchor Point anymore, sadly not even in the state, relocated Outside in ‘08. However I remember Sherry Bess with much fondness! She is a wonderful, kindhearted woman. We adopted several dogs from the shelter and gave them good homes. On a couple of occasions we went out to a dog lot out of town where several sled dogs were abandoned and needed homes. We adopted one and loved her until she had to be put to sleep due to tumors which were fatal. I want to thank Sherry for all the time she spent with us in finding those wonderful animals. God Bless You. Renee G. De Armond