DALLAS BOROUGH – A veterinarian that examined five newborn puppies found abandoned in a trash bag said they are doing well, despite being separated from their mother.
Dr. Devinne Barrett said the pups were cold and covered in maggots when a jogger brought the animals to the Back Mountain Veterinary Hospital near Dallas.
"The ticks weren`t attached; they were just kind of roaming around. I think the puppies were so cold, actually the ticks were abandoning ship. They were more interested actually of coming out of the box to get to those of us who were trying to take care of the puppies,” said Barrett. "There`s always at risk for canine herpes virus or fading puppy syndrome. They`re very young and they can`t control their own temperature. They`re very susceptible to that sort of thing; if they make it through the first week, they have a pretty good shot."
Despite a public plea for the owner to surrender the mother of the puppies, volunteers at Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge in Franklin Township said that has not happened, and they are now considering a surrogate for the pups.
Donations to care for the abandoned puppies can be dropped off at Whitings Pet Supply on Route 309 near Dallas.