A litter of puppies found abandoned in the Appalachian Mountains is now seeking homes in Minnesota. Lexis Noelle, who aids animals in need, received a tip about the 10 puppies and immediately went to rescue them from a Kentucky mountainside. "We just waited until we heard something and we heard the leaves rustle, and all of a sudden, these little puppies came running down the hill," she said.
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The puppies were found in poor condition, suffering from dehydration and severe malnourishment. Noelle explained, "We sat in the bathtub until 12 in the morning, taking fleas and ticks off them. Hundreds of fleas and ticks on them." The puppies would not have survived long on their own in the wild. "That area has so many coyotes and predators; there's no way they would have made it," she added.
Noelle sought out rescue organizations willing to care for the puppies and discovered Minnesota-based Safe Hands Rescue. Heather Rende, a volunteer with the organization, stated, "They started reaching out for help and Safe Hands Rescue is boots on the ground in southeastern Kentucky; we have a rescue center there. We transported them last week to their foster homes in beautiful Minnesota."
After weeks of treatment, the puppies are now ready for adoption. While their story has a positive outcome, both Noelle and Rende are aware of the grim alternatives many animals face. "It's surprising just how many of these stories we tell every week," Rende noted. "It couldn't be anything other than someone just getting rid of a litter." Noelle urged, "Reach out to people; people are willing to hold them. Don't resort to desperate things like that; there's no need for that."