On a cold morning last month in South Dakota, a woman named Jordan Fiegen saw an unusual-looking crate in the trailer park near her parents’ house. When she went to investigate its contents, she was heartbroken to realize that inside the basket, there were seven tiny puppies.
The previous night’s heavy rain had filled the crate with dirty water, turning the puppies’ white fur filthy. It was freezing outside, so the puppies had been huddling together, desperately trying to keep each other warm.
“They weren’t even crying or barking because I think they were just so close to giving up,” Fiegen told The Dodo. “They were making no noise.”
Fiegen learned that the puppies’ mama was a neglected dog who belonged to someone living in the trailer park. She tried to let the mama’s owner know about the puppies, but no one was around.
Fiegen knew that if the puppies stayed outside any longer, they were going to freeze to death. So she scooped them all up and brought them to safety. Soon after, their owner agreed that she wanted to surrender the pups.
“We took them in the house and gave them a nice warm bath, trying to warm them up slowly and not shock their bodies too much,” Fiegen said.
Once the puppies were finally clean, they looked unrecognizable. Fiegen was amazed that underneath all that filth, the puppies had beautiful white coats.
Exhausted after everything they’d endured, the babies took a long nap. Fiegen was so relieved that the dogs were finally safe that she broke down in tears.
“I just sobbed over them not knowing what they just went through,” Fiegen said.
She reached out to Almost Home Canine Rescue (AHCR), who agreed to manage their care and set them up with foster families.
Once the puppies had stabilized, Fiegen took them to the vet, where they got flea treatments and dewormer. The seven pups, named Bluey, Bingo, Bert, Ernie, Bear, Kona and Nova, were divided between three different foster families.
In the weeks since arriving with their caretakers, they’ve completely transformed. Gone are the cold, lethargic dogs Fiegen discovered in the rain.
“They are all very playful,” Fiegen said. “They definitely came out of their shells after they were all bundling together and barely showing signs of life.”
Soon, the puppies will all be available for adoption. There’s no doubt that with dogs this adorable, they’ll be settled in with new families in no time.
