5 abandoned puppies in Polk County part of growing trend, animal shelter officials say

By Samiar Nefzi

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Officials at Western North Carolina animal shelters said they’ve noticed an uptick in animals being surrendered or abandoned.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue Executive Director Karen Parker said. “We’re here every day to save animals and give them a second chance.”

On Aug. 1, 2022, the Rutherfordton shelter took in five puppies that were left in a box along a rural road in Polk County.

“The smell just kind of hit you in the face,” Parker said. “They were barely moving.”

A passerby found the box of five puppies on the side of Big Level Road in Mill Spring about noon. When they were brought to Heart of the Foothills, staff realized the puppies were in much worse condition than they had anticipated. The puppies were infested with maggots, which had started to eat through their skin and become embedded into their body.

“The person who left those animals on the side of the road could have walked in instead of leaving them where nobody could find them,” Parker said. “I would have taken those puppies in, no questions.”

For months, shelters nationwide have been reporting that they were nearing or exceeding capacity. Those in WNC are no exception.

With the lack of available space, Jeri Arledge with Rusty’s Legacy said these cases are becoming all too common.

“It’s increased 10-20-fold in the past year,” Arledge said.

Arledge said there are a number of factors at play, like fallout from the COVID pandemic to the state of the nation’s economy.

“I think a good bit of it is the uncertainty of the world and economy,” Arledge said. “People are saying they can’t afford their dogs.”

“I think there is a lot more animals that need our help because of the way our economy is,” Parker said. “I don’t think people realize there’s places they can go.”

As for the abandoned puppies, four days later, all five were doing well in their foster home, being bottle-fed and being given antibiotics.

“Everybody is gaining weight and wounds appear to be healing,” Parker said.

A member of the Polk County Animal Control said this is the second time puppies have been abandoned along Big Level Road in Mill Springs in recent months. The incidents are not believed to be related.

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