Woman Rescues 17 Puppies Abandoned At Indiana Dunes State Park
Updated 05/14/13 - 10:55 a.m.
PORTER, Ind. (STMW) -- A woman from Portage, Ind., found 17 puppies abandoned on a dark road in the Indiana Dunes State Park last week, after someone dumped the puppies and their mother on the side of the road.
Karen Read said she hates to think what might have happened to the puppies if she hadn't spotted them while she was driving through the park Friday night.
She said she saw a gold-colored SUV parked with its lights off before it took off.
"I saw some eyes in the roadway," she said. When she got close, she realized the eyes reflecting her headlights belonged to 17 mixed-breed puppies and an adult Labrador retriever.
Puppies Rescued Along Indiana Dunes
Read said the puppies started barking and running toward her car. She and her husband and neighbors rounded up the puppies. The mother dog ran off, but was caught on Monday.
"It was very cold that night, so I fear to think what would have happened to them if I hadn't come along right when I did," Read said.
She said she doubts the puppies would have made it through the night, with all the coyotes in the area.
"Good grief. I was really angry that night, and I'm trying not to be a judgmental person. I don't know what kind of situation they were in, but I think it was a pretty reckless and callous act that they did," she said.
The puppies appear to be a mix of Labrador, German Shepherd, and Rottweiler breeds, and are approximately 6-8 weeks old. They are all healthy and will be up for adoption at Lakeshore PAWS in Valparaiso on Saturday.
"They got their first round of puppy shots, so they're already started on that. They've been dewormed, so hopefully they'll shed any parasites that they might have," said Lakeshore PAWS dog coordinator Ashley Hill. "We will microchip them all today, and then get them fixed as soon as possible."
The shelter has received more than 100 calls from people wanting to adopt one of the dogs.
Read said she's visited the dogs every day since rescuing them, and one might end up going home with her. She'll probably name it "Lucky."
It costs $275 to adopt one of the puppies.
Porter County Sheriff's police were searching for the person who abandoned the dogs.
