A Texas woman was in the right place at the right time when she saw three puppies on the side of a road that needed rescuing.
A viral TikTok video showing the puppies being rescued was shared by Kristin Erwin (@streetheartstx). She was driving past a couple of people with a sign that read “Free puppies” and immediately “made a U-turn” to rescue the frail-looking dogs that were in a crate.
The video, which was posted April 11, has since been viewed over 10 million times and has generated over 915,000 likes.
Erwin felt compelled to rescue the puppies, which are thought to be chiweenies, a cross between a dachshund and a Chihuahua. Each one weighed just 2 pounds when Erwin found them. After the rescue, she nursed them back to full health.
@streetheartstx
Statistics from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals show that 6.3 million animals are taken to shelters across the country every year, 3.1 million of which are usually dogs.
Fortunately, there is a happy ending for around two-thirds of those animals that end up in shelters. It’s thought that 2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats are adopted.
Erwin, who lives in Dayton, Texas, is regularly on the lookout for dogs in need of rescuing. She said her area is filled with animals in need of a home.
With the help of Rescue Texas, Erwin is making sure the puppies get vaccinated, microchipped and fixed before finding owners who can provide them with a loving home.
“A man, and what I assume was his young daughter, were on the side of the road at a four-way intersection with a sign saying ‘Free puppies,'” she told Newsweek.
She continued: “They’re doing much better now that we’ve got the fleas off them and started them on a dewormer. They’ll need a few more doses to clear the worms up, but they seem to be on the mend.
“I was happy that I passed by there at the right time so I could help. The guy said that he initially had six puppies, but three were already given away. So I took the last three that he had left. Texas is just littered with puppies needing homes, so we do a lot of transport to other states.”
Erwin believes the puppies were around 5 to 6 weeks old when she found them, and their recovery will take about six weeks to ensure they’re back to full health before getting a home. She didn’t name the puppies because she had them only temporarily before giving them to Rescue Texas.
One of the puppies has already got an approved adopter in New Mexico, and the other two will be moved to a rescue center in New York while a family is sought.
“I wish I had passed by sooner, as they were covered in fleas and had big round bellies, indicating worms,” Erwin said. “Social media has helped so much to raise awareness, and people have contributed dog supplies to help us.”
More than 3,000 people have commented on Erwin’s TikTok video, with many praising her generosity in saving all three puppies.
One user commented: “Thank you for saving these sweet babies!” Another wrote: “They are blessed that you chose them.”
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