Shelter Finds Terrified Dog and Her Puppies Tied Up and Abandoned Outside

A dog and her puppies were found abandoned on the sidewalk just feet away from a rescue center in New York state.

At around 5:30 p.m. on March 8, shelter staff were stunned to find a terrified mother dog tied to a carrier containing four puppies. They had been left just 20 feet away from the entrance to the SPCA Westchester rescue center in Briarcliff Manor.

“Sadly, no note was left with them or any paperwork, and this person had not reached out to us for help prior,” Lisa Bonanno-Spence, the shelter’s director of development, told Newsweek. “Had they contacted us, we would have taken in this sweet dog family.”

The mother, named Nora, was terrified, and staffers were amazed that she had not bolted from the scene and taken the puppies with her.

An investigation revealed that the former owner, who was located shortly after the animals were found, said the dog would not be able to get pregnant because of size differences with another family dog. Therefore, neither pet was spayed or neutered.

The accidental pregnancy led to behavioral changes in the mother, and this ultimately prompted the owner to abandon her and the puppies.

“The owner lived just a few towns over. Mom is about 2 years old and appears to be a mix, resembling a ridgeback and hound. The puppies, around 3.5 months old, bear more resemblance to pit bulls, which is the breed of the father,” Bonanno-Spence said.

Fertilization between dogs does not depend on their size, so technically a dog of any size can get another dog of a different size pregnant. While there may be challenges with mating different-sized dogs, it is still possible and should always be considered when dogs are together.

Despite the traumatic experience, the dogs are slowly recovering under the care of the rescue center. “Mom is still quite scared, but she’s getting a little more trusting every day. We have no doubt that with time, patience and support from our staff and volunteers she will start to come more out of her shell,” Bonanno-Spence said.

Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, at an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 in January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, 24Petwatch’s Shelter Watch Report found.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs and behavior rehabilitation.

Their future is looking positive for the rescued dogs at SPCA Westchester, and the shelter is looking forward to finding them forever homes.

“We are hoping to find a foster home for mom, one that is quiet and dog-savvy. Otherwise, she will stay at our rescue center to be rehabilitated,”
Bonanno-Spence said.

Once the dogs are ready, the rescue center plans to set up meetings with potential adopters.

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