PEMBROKE PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - A Pembroke Park pet shop was forced to close after more than 30 puppies were found sick, malnourished and living in deplorable conditions.
Some of the sick puppies were inside cages at Dr. Do Little’s Pet Shop on Friday when volunteers from Good Karma Pet Rescue helped rescue them.
Nathalie Santana, one of the organization’s volunteers, documented the rescue in a video posted to Facebook.
“I want to take those two. They look really bad,” Santana said in the video. “I tried to pick the ones that were most sick.”
She picked up six puppies, including a basset hound that was barely more than skin and bones.
“They were miserable,” Santana said. “I mean, they [had] like runny noses, coughing. They didn’t feel good, so they just wanted out.”
The pet store’s owner surrendered all of the animals, and several pet rescue organizations showed up to save all 31 puppies.
All of the puppies were exposed to parvovirus.
“It smelled really bad,” Santana said. “Parvo has a distinctive smell, and it smelled like feces, urine. It smelled like bird poop also because he used to sell wildlife. This was just pure neglect. This was really bad.”
Santana took her six rescued puppies to Pet Express in Davie where they remain under veterinary care.
“Hi, babies! We’re gonna go to the vet. This guy is so bad. We’re gonna go right now,” Santana said to the puppies in a Facebook video.
“They’re doing good,” Santana added. “They’re hanging in there. We don’t want to say that they are out of the woods yet because parvo is super deadly, but for now, they’re stable.”
Two of the puppies tested positive for parvovirus and have been quarantined.
“We’re looking for donations, foster homes, adoptions,” Santana said. “If you want one of the puppies instead of going up to a shop and buying a puppy from a breeder, go into your local animal shelter or rescue and adopt them instead.”
After the 14-day quarantine, some of the puppies will be available for adoption.
However, 7News has learned that the basset hound featured in Santana’s Facebook video tested positive for parvovirus.
All of the canines are undergoing nebulizer treatments for their upper respiratory infections, and it remains unclear what their prognosis is going to be.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating the incident.
For more information on the rescued puppies, click here.
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