Owning a pet should be a lifelong commitment, yet some individuals choose abandonment, despite shelters’ best efforts to assist. In Ridgeway, Virginia, rescuers were horrified to discover eleven abandoned puppies—two separate litters—left to fend for themselves on the roadside. If not for the compassionate rescuers, who knows what fate awaited these helpless animals?
Abandoned And Starving In The Woods
According to a Facebook post from the Henry County Animal Shelter, their officers responded to a call about puppies running in the road. Shortly after, another call reported a second litter just a mile away. “These 2 different litters deep in the woods scavenging for food. Only 1 mile apart from each other. Coincidence? We think not,” noted the shelter in their post.
The puppies were terrified, starving, and left to fend for themselves. Rescuers spent the day helping to save all eleven puppies, who were desperately searching for food.
The dogs, primarily German Shepherds, were found in terrible shape—infested with ticks, malnourished, and some tested positive for worms and parasites. Following the rescue, two puppies were adopted while the remaining nine were transferred to the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, which arranged for several foster homes for these frightened puppies.
Shortly after their arrival at the foster homes, however, the shelter faced a series of unfortunate news.
Fighting To Save Lives
Just days later, five of these puppies tested positive for parvo and required hospitalization. This deadly virus can be fatal if not treated properly.
“If you end up getting a dog that gets Parvo, it’s going to be vomiting, having diarrhea, it needs to go into having emergency care 24/7, and there’s lots of dehydration and medications for pain. They have to be fed via tubes for nutrients because they’re not going to be eating. It’s a lot of day-to-day care,” shared Monja Vadnais, a volunteer and foster from Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, with WDBJ7.
The days grew tense as everyone hoped for their recovery. Luckily, after several weeks of treatment and considerable financial support, all of the puppies are now out of the hospital and gradually improving. The focus is now on nurturing them back to health, helping them gain weight and strength, with hopes for a future filled with happy moments.
Once fully rehabilitated, these puppies will be available for adoption through Virginia Rescue.
Despite the efforts to identify those responsible for this abhorrent act of animal cruelty, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office has not been able to locate the perpetrator. “If you’re going to own pets, you need to be responsible. They must be cared for adequately and treated like family members, not discarded in the woods,” emphasized Sheriff Wayne Davis.
