Last January, a man was walking in Onancock, USA, when a strange object caught his eye outside the Historic Onancock School community centre. Sitting outside was a large black bin with 'Family Dollar' written on it. Intrigued, he lifted the lid to see what was inside.
Inside, huddled together, eight puppies around ten weeks old were squirming in the cramped space.
A heartbreaking discovery
The puppies were clearly weak and completely defenceless. Realising they were at risk of suffocating in the sealed container, the man quickly poked air holes in the lid before calling for help. Teams from the Eastern Shore Regional Animal Control Facility were called to the scene to take care of the animals.
Sadly, one of the puppies died before help arrived. The other seven were rescued and taken into the care of animal control officers.
According to Jeri Winn, the shelter manager, puppy abandonments are relatively common in the Eastern Shore region of Virginia. However, this kind of discovery is rarer in the town of Onancock itself.
Despite being used to these difficult situations, the team was deeply saddened by this latest abandonment. The volunteers did, however, point out one positive: whoever left them put the bin in a visible place, which allowed them to be found quickly.
A new chance for the survivors
The seven puppies were then entrusted to the Critters 4 U Rescue, a shelter and foster network. Rescuers determined they were Australian Shepherd crosses.
To bring a little joy to their difficult start in life, they were named after the famous seven dwarfs: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey.
Since then, one of them has already found a family, while the others are still waiting to meet the adopters who will finally give them the home they deserve.
