11 German Shepherd puppies rescued after being abandoned in woods

HENRY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) – Animal rescuers found 11 abandoned German Shepherd puppies in the woods of Virginia, and the dogs are now recovering.

Henry County Animal Control said on March 5, they found four abandoned puppies near Chestnut Knob Road in Ridgeway.

Hours later, they received another call about seven more puppies a mile down the road.

The puppies were malnourished, covered in ticks, and tested positive for worms.

“It’s absolutely uncalled for,” said Allie Keatts, Henry County Animal Shelter Manager. “The Henry County Animal Shelter is an open-intake shelter for Henry County residents. We would have taken the puppies with open arms. There was absolutely no reason that they should have been dumped in the woods to fend for themselves.”

The puppies are now in foster care through Virginia German Shepherd Rescue.

They say most of them are doing well, but a few are still struggling to make a full recovery. Four have tested positive for Parvo, a potentially fatal disease in puppies, and another has parasites.

“We encourage everyone to be responsible pet owners,” said Sheriff Wayne Davis with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. “With the resources that we have here in Henry County, such as our animal shelter, the local SPCA, and even our surrounding localities, there’s absolutely no excuse for anyone to have dropped these animals off in the woods like this. It’s egregious in my opinion.”

The sheriff’s office is asking the community for help figuring out who may have done this.

They could be charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty and 11 counts of animal abandonment.

“If you’re going to own pets, you need to be responsible. They need to be cared for adequately. They should be treated more like a family member than just an animal to be dropped in the woods. Please don’t abandon your pets and leave them to die,” Davis added.

Animal control also found a female German Shepherd they believe to be the mother in the same area a few days prior to rescuing the puppies.

She is available for adoption at the Henry County Animal Shelter.

An online application to adopt the puppies can be filled out here.