A man was walking his dog in Gary, Indiana when he stumbled upon something that caused him to freeze. On a pile of discarded mattresses, he saw something moving.

As he got closer, he realized what he was looking at — a litter of six abandoned puppies left to fend for themselves, with no mama in sight.

The man quickly understood the urgency of the situation and reached out to Silverstray Social, an organization that rescues animals and supports pet families. It was the Friday evening before Memorial Day, and Silverstray Social’s team wasn’t expecting more rescue calls. But as soon as they heard about the puppies, they immediately sprang into action.

The Discovery

While Layce, a volunteer from Silverstray Social, made her way to the scene, the man who found the puppies placed them in a makeshift kennel. When Layce arrived, it was clear that the puppies were in dire condition — emaciated and starving. Based on their size, the rescuers believed they were no older than 2 months.

However, after further assessment, the rescuers were shocked by the actual age of the puppies.

A Startling Revelation

“What everybody thought [were] 6- to 8-week-old puppies ended up being 6-month-old puppies … That’s how malnourished they were,” Kelly Carey, the founder of Silverstray Social, told The Dodo.

Kelly immediately reached out to partner organizations to find a safe place for the puppies. Guardians of the Green Mile, a local foster organization, agreed to take them in. Before they were transferred, the puppies spent the night at a volunteer’s home.

A New Beginning

In the days since their rescue, the puppies have begun to regain weight, and there’s a new light in their eyes that wasn’t there less than a week ago.

Although the situation was heart-wrenching, Kelly Carey emphasized that Silverstray Social’s mission isn’t to judge the individual circumstances but to empower the community with the resources needed to prevent such situations from happening in the future.

Silverstray Social offers crucial services for pet families, including free spays, neuters, vaccines, microchipping, and TNR for stray animals. The organization also partners with local groups that provide support for people facing homelessness, food insecurity, and other struggles, understanding that the issues faced by pets and people are deeply interconnected.

“If the people were better supported in the community … that might not [have happened],” Carey said.

Fortunately, these puppies were rescued just in time.

“They’re hanging out in the rescue and doing well,” Carey said.