Four shepherd-mix puppies survived being thrown from a highway bridge in Mississippi into a plastic container- then they began a well controlled journey north to start all over.
The puppies were found in an abandoned area outside of Vicksburg, Mississippi, by three cowboys on horseback one day early in the morning. Animal Rescue of New England said that the men had “stumbled upon the pups” and had discovered that “The pups had been thrown over a highway bridge in a plastic container and only four survived.” The cowboys took the living puppies away to safety and linked them to a local foster that would stabilize the puppies in the meantime.
The next was not a change of address. It was a handoff into an interstate rescue highway constructed to align the animals in high density areas with the families in places where market pressure exceeds supply. New England shelters and rescues seldom have many more dogs to adopt than there are people wishing to take one home, partly due to spay-and-neuter initiatives that have over years decreased the number of overpopulated animals in the area. A director of a Massachusetts shelter described the lopsidedness in a very simple manner: “I could adopt out probably four times as many dogs and puppies as we do.” When transport is approached conscientiously, it can act as problem-sharing and not animal “shipping,” and therefore can be based on medical examinations, records, and coordinated placements so that pets can be received healthy and the families are aware of what they are getting.
Animal Rescue of New England, a foster-based shelter in the state of Rhode Island, Connecticut or Massachusetts, assumed the position of adoption coordination of the Bridge Sisters. The rescue suspects that the puppies are a combination of Shepherd and Aussies. Their ages are around 13-14 weeks old with a weight of 12-14 pounds each. The team observed, “The sisters have been vetted and have done wonderfully in fostercare.” Worst still, they are abreast with vaccines that are age relevant and are already spayed.
The puppies in foster homes have demonstrated the nature of flexibility that may astonish a person following such an experience.
The rescue states that the Bridge Sisters are “beautiful markings” and “sweet personalities,” and have been good with people as well as with cats and other dogs. They report progress in house training, kennel training and leash training as a part of their fostering report, and it is practical knowledge, which can make the initial weeks of growing up in a permanent home smoother both to the puppies and their adopters.
Although a dog may seem physically alright on the surface, animal behavior experts observe that fear and anxiety can be manifested in the form of avoidance, freezing, pacing, shaking, or escape attempts in circumstances that seem to be unsafe. Confidence building: Training plans mainly based on gradual exposure and low-stress learning by the use of rewards are popular, whereas spontaneous exposure to a trigger may be counterproductive. To most of the rescued pets, predictability, which is quiet routines, safe space, where the animal feels comfortable and is well handled, may be more likely to be a life-saving attribute than affection.
The Bridge Sisters are bound to New England where foster-to-adopt trials are on the rescue. In the case of Animal Rescue of New England, the fact that four puppies survived is not just the point, but it is being systematized: medical treatment, foster care, and a re-location plan to ensure that as they climb out of a dramatic beginning to the normal everyday existence.
