HSMO Rescues Mother and Puppies From Abandoned Property

Seven dogs, including a mother and four newborn puppies, were trapped inside an abandoned home. One finally escaped to signal for help.

On July 22, the Humane Society of Missouri's (HSMO) Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) was contacted by the Newton County Sheriff's office in Southwest Missouri to aid in the rescue of seven dogs, including a mother and her four newborn puppies, from an abandoned property. Neighbors spotted a dog that escaped the home on the roof of the property and alerted local law enforcement.

The Newton County property was uninhabited by a true occupant as the owner passed away eight months ago, though squatters had been staying on the property intermittently. It's unclear at this time if the abandoned animals belonged to the deceased owner or to the squatters.

Upon receiving the call, HSMO's ACT team acted swiftly and safely by removing the dogs and taking them to HSMO for treatment. The dogs were found in varying stages of malnourishment; the mother being particularly emaciated since just giving birth.

The remains of one dog were also found on the property.

Thanks to the expert care of our staff and the support of our community, all of the dogs rescued are recovering well and getting the treatment they need. The mother pup has been named Nina. She and her four puppies (Nancy, Nemo, Ned and Nebula) are comfortable and cozy. Because they are so young, the puppies will stay with Nina in a foster home until they are weaned and old enough for spay/neuter surgery.

Nora, a three-year-old beagle mix, slowly came out of her shell after arriving at HSMO. She has since found a loving forever home. Neo is the brave three-year-old beagle mix who saved the lives of the dogs in the house by alerting the outside world to their presence. After putting on a little weight, Neo too found a loving adoptive family!

Thanks to the ongoing support of our donors, HSMO has been able to give these innocent animals a second chance and loving, forever homes.

When you include HSMO in your future plans, you make second chances possible for more animals in years to come. Contact Arthur Hailand at 314-951-1584 or ahailand@hsmo.org to start planning your legacy of love for animals today.