Dumpster Puppies Get New Homes Just In Time For Christmas


They looked like hamsters when they were found. They were tiny, almost hairless, and on the verge of death when a Radio Shack employee found the litter of puppies on October 29, who had been thrown away in a dumpster to die. However, thanks to that employee’s intervention, the seven puppies are alive and living in their new forever homes.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the litter, which consisted of four females and three males, were taken to Lassen County animal control near where they were found in Susanville, California. Officials there knew it would take a 24-hour a day effort to keep the tiny pups alive, which was something they were not equipped to do. Instead, they called for help from a smaller shelter in Incline Village, Nevada.

The Pet Network Humane Society could take care of Gabe, Bacall, Chief, Michonne, Bindi, Bogey, and Piper around the clock. The shelter had a reputation of saving dumpster dogs as they had nursed a litter of pups found in an Incline Village dumpster in July 2013. The original litter of dumpster puppies were 10 Doberman Pincher mixed puppies. While four did die, they managed to save six and adopt them out to good homes.

When the shelter heard about the puppies, they made the trip to Susanville to collect them because they knew time was of the essence. Melissa Shaw, an adoption specialist with Pet Network, recalled seeing the tiny creatures for the first time.

“They were extremely small. Most of them were all black, and some had little spots of white. We later determined they were a mix of German shepherd, black Lab and golden retriever. But that first day, they were muted little creatures, just clinging to life.”

As KOLO Channel 8 News reported, the puppies were given to shelter volunteers that helped nurse them 24/7 until they were big enough to be adopted. The volunteers were instructed how to care for the young animals before they went home with them, but the volunteers were not the only ones needed to be taught what to do, but the young puppies had to be taught as well.

“One by one, we had to instruct [the puppies] in everything their mother would have done. At first, just to get them to go to the bathroom, we had to rub their tummies.”

It cost about a $1,000 per puppy to nurse them back to health, but it was successful and the puppies have all found homes since their rough start to life. The families who have adopted the special seven dumpster puppies think that their new friend was well worth effort to save. The dogs were meant to be rescued said one new pet parent, Jack Wolford, who was lucky enough to adopt Chief.

“It was not their destiny, their destiny was not in a garbage can. [Their] destiny was with families that love them and underneath a Christmas Tree for the season… and treats.”

Unfortunately, finding unwanted puppies in dumpsters isn’t uncommon. Another story covered by the Inquisitr showed a rescued dumpster puppy in Dallas enjoying a bath and being clean again.

[Image by Pet Network Humane Society]

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