Five tiny puppies who were found abandoned in a bag in a Kansas Walmart parking lot have made an incredible recovery and are now ready to find loving homes.
The puppies were discovered in McPherson in May, when a person handed the bag containing the newborn animals to Police Chief Mikel T. Golden and McPherson Animal Shelter Director Emily Sanner.
“This was not a normal call we usually get,” Golden said. “The person handed us a bag with puppies inside it, and we immediately went to work to protect them.”
Sanner quickly purchased the supplies needed to keep the puppies warm and fed. At the shelter, she created a special sleeping area and feeding station for the fragile newborns.
Because the puppies were so young, they required constant care. Staff members had to feed them every two to three hours and stimulate them so they could go to the bathroom.
Golden worked with police employees and animal shelter technicians to organize around-the-clock shifts, with volunteers immediately stepping up to help care for the litter.
Authorities also launched an investigation and reviewed surveillance footage from the Walmart parking lot. Their efforts eventually led them to the puppies’ mother.
“We followed up on some video footage we reviewed and located the mother of the puppies,” Golden said. “We were permitted to take the mother to feed the pups.”
Officials were concerned not only about the puppies’ survival, but also about the mother’s health. A nursing dog separated from her puppies can develop a serious infection or other potentially life-threatening complications.
The owner ultimately surrendered the mother, allowing her to be reunited with her babies.
“The mom took to them right away,” Sanner told KAKE. “She was super excited.”
The mother has since been named Shrimpy.
Shelter officials estimated that the puppies were only about one week old when they were rescued, meaning they were completely dependent on humans and their mother for survival.
“At a week old, they can’t regulate their body temperature,” Sanner explained. “They can’t use the bathroom on their own, and they need nutrition. They don’t have their eyes open, and they don’t have their ears open, so they can’t see. They can’t hear.”
Thanks to weeks of dedicated care, the puppies grew stronger and healthier. By six weeks old, Shrimpy and her five babies were officially ready to begin the adoption process, the shelter announced in a July 22 Facebook post.
The puppies have been named Piglet, Fawn, Calf, Duckling and Bunny.
A DNA test revealed that the litter is a mix of American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Siberian Husky and Rottweiler.
“These puppies are full of personality, curiosity, and puppy energy,” the shelter said. “They have been handled daily since they were tiny, have received lots of love from staff and volunteers, and are excited to begin their next adventure with families of their own.”
The shelter also thanked the McPherson Citizen Journal for starting a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the puppies’ care.
Community members donated supplies, volunteered for bottle-feeding shifts, shared the puppies’ story and supported the animals throughout their recovery.
Meanwhile, the investigation into how the puppies ended up abandoned in the parking lot remains active.
“The case is pending charges against the owner,” Golden said.