For a moment, they thought it was a prank, as the dogs arrived on Halloween.
But it took them very little time to realise that the presence of the dogs was far from being a joke. It was a sad reality: they had all been abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
A pack of dogs
You can see in the video footage below that it was the family's security camera that alerted them to the presence of the dogs.
The poor things were seeking shelter under the porch.
Bethany McCoy called the television channel FOX 2, hoping that media coverage would lead animal rescue groups to save the dogs.
Unfortunately, local shelters were full.
What's more, rescuing the dogs proved difficult, as they kept going back and forth between the house porch and the nearby woods.
They would hide under an old abandoned trailer whenever they heard noises.
They do their best to save them
It was finally the Humane Society of Missouri shelter that took charge of rescuing the dogs.
They came to the site 5 times to save them. Sadly, some dogs were hit by cars and died before they could be rescued.
The family saved 7 dogs and adopted one for life. They called her Lily.
The 6 other dogs are currently resting at the Humane Society of Missouri shelter.
Amongst the 6 dogs at the shelter, one of the females is pregnant. She will be able to give birth to her puppies in the warmth and safety of the shelter.
We wish them all the best for the future.
