Puppies rescued from dog hoarding situation in critical care

Three puppies rescued from a hoarding situation in Ripley County were fighting for their lives Monday, and animal rescues Mac’s Mission and Humane Society of Southeast Missouri are raising funds to aid in their care.

Rochelle Steffen, Mac’s Mission founder, said Monday that the puppies, named Carter, Ripley and Butler, are in critical condition.

“Parvo this bad is hour to hour on if they will make it,” Steffen said, adding that each puppy was on a feeding tube as of Monday afternoon, and are receiving 24/7 acute care in St. Louis.

The three puppies, all males, will be available for adoption through Mac’s Mission if they make it, Steffen said.

“Mac’s Mission and the HSSEMO worked ridiculously hard and great as a team to pull this off,” Steffen said.

A puppy rescued Saturday is shown receiving veterinary care in St. Louis.Photo submitted by Rochelle Steffen

On Friday, Humane Society of Southeast Missouri received a call asking for help, according to the group’s Facebook page.

“We were told 30 plus pets were needing to be removed from a hoarding situation,” the post stated, and law enforcement escorted staffers from HSSEMO and Mac’s Mission to the site.

In total, three dogs, a kitten and four puppies were rescued from the site.

A fourth puppy, Dunklin, had already died before they could be rescued, and a fifth puppy, Howell, died en route to the veterinary hospital in St. Louis, Steffen said.

“These two losses take so much out of us and to know it can be preventable on so many levels,” Steffen wrote on Mac the pitbull’s Facebook page.

Far fewer than the 30 animals reported were on site, according to HSSEMO’s post.

“We know authorities are continuing to work to help the remaining animals and we are hopeful we will get an opportunity to rescue them as well,” HSSEMO’s post stated.

By Missouri law, removing animals from a situation like this one is difficult, Steffen wrote, “But instead of getting super angry and banging our heads against the wall, our focus is praying and sending strength to these three puppies who never deserved this.”

More than $14,000 had been raised on Mac the pitbull’s Facebook page as of Monday afternoon, with another $880 raised on the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri Facebook page.

More information is on Facebook @HumaneSocietyofSoutheastMissouri, @macthepitbull or www.macsmission.org.