While hiking in Idaho’s Owyhee Mountains, two outdoor enthusiasts came across something unexpected. A plastic tote sat near the trail, seemingly out of place. As they drew closer, their confusion turned to shock—inside the container were seven underweight puppies, left to fend for themselves in the wilderness. “[They] were horrified to find them left out there,” Melissa Blackmer, director of Lake Lowell Animal Rescue, told The Dodo. Concerned for the puppies’ safety, the hikers carefully transported them out of the woods and began searching for help. Unfortunately, many local shelters were already overwhelmed with animals.
Eventually, someone contacted Lake Lowell Animal Rescue. Though the rescue was also near capacity, they knew the puppies couldn’t be left without care. Once at the shelter, the young dogs were evaluated by a veterinarian and started receiving the care they desperately needed. Slowly but surely, the puppies began regaining strength, and their lively personalities emerged.
“While a little nervous, it was apparent they had been around people often before being abandoned in the mountains and were playful quite quickly with us,” Blackmer explained.
Given the rescue’s limited space, staff turned to their community for help. Several foster families stepped forward to provide temporary homes for the puppies. Splitting into smaller groups, the pups settled into their foster environments, where they received love and attention. Day by day, they gained weight and grew stronger, preparing for the next chapter in their lives.
Thanks to the dedication of foster families, these puppies now have the opportunity to find loving, permanent homes. Their journey from abandonment to recovery has been made possible by the kindness of strangers and the tireless efforts of animal rescue advocates.
She Could Barely Walk or Breathe When Rescuers Found Her
Rescuers swooped in, but when they got the pup into their care, she had lost the use of her back legs, was struggling to breathe, and weighed just around 20 pounds.
“We can’t state enough how important foster homes are to animal rescues,” Blackmer said. “We depend on foster homes just as much as we do their forever homes.” With their spirits lifted and their futures bright, these seven puppies are well on their way to living the lives they deserve.
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