Philadelphia — Eight newborn puppies are in emergency care after being found abandoned in freezing temperatures Friday night in a South Philadelphia parking lot.
A woman walking to her car at the Target on Mifflin Street discovered a bag moving inside a shopping cart around 6 p.m. When she opened it, she found the puppies, only hours old.
“Their eyes weren’t open yet, their umbilical cords were still attached, they were shivering,” said Sarah Barnett of ACCT Philly.
Rescuers say the puppies nearly froze to death before the Good Samaritan brought them to ACCT Philly. From there, they were transferred to Outcast Rescue, where workers placed them in an incubator and began bottle feeding. All eight puppies are still alive.
“It’s sad because we don’t know their history, we don’t know their background,” Barnett said. “They do have some medical issues, and the rescue is trying to figure out what’s going on with them.”
ACCT Philly is urging the public not to abandon vulnerable animals. “Just bring them to us,” Barnett said. “They have a better chance with us of avoiding suffering or finding a home.”
Shoppers at the store expressed outrage over the incident. “I hope that person gets found. Something has to be done about it,” said Davi Jones of West Philadelphia. Angela Gabriel of South Philadelphia added, “That’s terrible. They should be prosecuted 100%. To the fullest.”
Outcast Rescue says it needs help keeping the puppies alive and is collecting supplies and financial donations for their veterinary care.