Tied to a Heavy Chain & Starved With Her Puppies

Her ribs showing from being starved and yet she gave it all to feed her pups.

In a deeply rural area of North Carolina a small mother was found tied to a tree with a heavy chain. No collar - just a heavy chain wrapped around her neck. She was starving. She was also nursing her 6 puppies. Barely alive, we do not know how she and they survived. She is also heartworm positive and has likely lived her entire life on a chain, becoming pregnant from a free-roaming dog she could not escape.

Despite this all, and that she has only ever known cruelty and neglect, she is warm and loving to the humans she meets. 

The local shelter where she was eventually freed and taken to has no foster program. They have no more open kennels. The family is at risk. Yes, families die in shelters when there are no options for them.

While HT almost entirely focuses on animals in Virginia, a longtime HT volunteer who lives near this shelter contacted us - begging us to help.

We can't say no to this family because of geography. They've suffered too much and we have to try.

Heartworm is more than $1,000 to treat. And that is not the only medical issue facing them mom. She will likely have a tickborne disease. We know she's infested by intestinal worms. She will need veterinary oversight as we slowly start to help her put weight on.

The pups are also full of worms and have never eaten food other than their mother's milk. The cruel people could not be bothered to feed them.

How they've lived this long is a mystery - and a testament to how wonderful and dedicated this mother is. Her name is Kimberly.

PLEASE help us help this family - starting with vet care and then ongoing oversight and a place at our Adoption Center where we will squeeze them while we keep a close eye on them and plead for a foster home.