TAMPA, Florida — Monday was supposed to be a regular workday for one construction worker, but instead part of his day consisted of rushing a mom dog and her eight starving puppies to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
It’s not exactly known how long Poppy and her puppies had been left out in a rusty cage, but a spokesperson for the humane society says they believe the family might have been left inside a locked crate in the heat and rain over the weekend.
“The crate was rusty. They were standing in their own feces and urine. They were covered in excrement. There was nothing in there with them. So, it wasn’t like they had food bowls or anything,” Regan Blessinger said.
The estimated 4-week-old puppies and their mom were brought into the facility and immediately began to receive help. " It was immediately apparent the puppies were emaciated, starving, and full of parasites and fleas," the organization wrote on its Facebook page.
Blessinger said they didn’t think the dog mom and her pups hadn’t been receiving the best care for a while.
“They [the puppies] have parasites in their bellies. That’s why they have little round bellies, although they are starving.”
Mother dog, puppies recovering after being found in a rusty cage in Tampa
The Blessinger said currently the puppies, except for two, are recovering well.
“They are starting to play. Their tails are wagging. They are definitely starting to come out of their shells,” she said.
The two puppies that needed extensive care had to get blood transfusions. They are still in critical condition, but they are eating on their own. Blessinger said they are “cautiously optimistic” about their recovery.
Sadly, situations like these are not uncommon, the spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, there are animals abandoned inside of crates either outside or in other places. And they aren’t left with anything. They are locked inside of the crates and so of course someone is putting them in there. It’s so unfortunate because there are resources to help people.
The humane society believes the mom dog is a wheaten terrier mix and they assume the dad of the puppies is some type of pit bull mix. Poppy and her eight pups: Bee, Betty, Barns, Blair, Beau, Beans, Baxter and Brandy should be ready for adoption, once they are fully recovered.
