On El Hierro, a small island off the coast of Spain, rescuers at a nonprofit called El Juaclo work tirelessly to keep abandoned animals off the streets. As the island’s only animal rescue, El Juaclo manages a high volume of calls. Recently, they heard about a litter of puppies abandoned in a particularly heartbreaking way — left piled together in a cardboard box near a garbage heap.
A neighbor had discovered the box while taking out the trash. She called the island’s emergency services line, who then contacted El Juaclo. Vanesa, an El Juaclo volunteer, headed to the scene to rescue the pups.
When Vanesa arrived, she found the puppies piled on top of each other, dehydrated and extremely weak. Vanesa gently grabbed the pups and took them to an experienced foster mom named Eva for further care.
Safe with Eva, the puppies could finally relax. They gratefully gulped their food and slowly began to recover. Despite their rocky start, the puppies fully trusted their rescuers and stuck to them like glue.
“These puppies are extremely affectionate,” a representative from El Juaclo told The Dodo. “[T]hey need a lot of human contact.”
El Juaclo volunteers hope this rescue story encourages island authorities to enforce local animal welfare laws. If the government does their part to advocate for animals, puppies like these won’t be left to fend for themselves.
Once they’re ready, these pups will travel to Tenerife, where another animal rescue group will continue their care and coordinate their adoptions. Free from the dirty box they once called home, these loving puppies are headed toward their happy ending.
