Tania Isenstein, the chairperson of Animal Lighthouse Rescue, had just finished a very trying day at work when she received the text message. She had just nestled down on her sofa.
The letter was sent by Liza Arias, who serves as the executive director of El Faro de los Animales, which is Animal Lighthouse Rescue’s sister shelter in Puerto Rico. On it was written, “We just found a trash bag with babies.”
Arias had stumbled across what would subsequently be characterized on the Instagram account of Animal Lighthouse Rescue as a “horrifying surprise” – seven newborn pups, not quite two weeks old, were wiggling about in the rubbish. They had somehow all managed to save their lives.
Isenstein was upset, but she was not surprised by the news.
Isenstein told The Dodo that this was not the first time they had encountered abandoned pups. “Unfortunately, it is not the first time we have seen abandoned puppies,”
Sharday Villahermosa, who is the main vet technician at El Faro, stepped up to take care of the pups, who needed assistance around the clock and needed to be housed somewhere else than the shelter owing to the vulnerability of their immune systems.
Isenstein looks up to Villahermosa as a role model since she is taking care of not just this litter of pups but also a lot of other rescued canines at the moment. Isenstein expresses the hope that there are more individuals in the world who, when they see an animal in need, are as eager as Villahermosa to take action.
Isenstein said that “it’s the right and humane thing to do,” referring to the action. “Too many of those of us who have greater resources believe that it is being taken care of by someone else. I really hope more people will become part in the process.”
If everything continues to go well with their care, the pups will go to the New York City region in June, where they will be ready to be placed with their new family for the rest of their lives. Isenstein eagerly anticipates the day when this litter will no longer need to be concerned about being abandoned.
Isenstein said that they would most certainly be made available for adoption in the future. “We are extra excited to find them the perfect homes to make up for the terrible start that they had,” we said.
