Box of newborn puppies abandoned along Harford County trail

A box of abandoned newborn puppies was found along a walking trail this past weekend in Harford County. A good Samaritan broughtrelocated them to the Humane Society for treatment and care.

The Harford County Humane Society said the puppies were only a day or two old when they were left along a trail off Route 7 and Creswell Road near the Riverside Apartments in Belcamp, Maryland.

When found, the puppies couldn't even open their eyes and were completely helpless.

Erin Long, with the Harford County Humane Society, said umbilical cords were still attached, and as soon as the puppies were brought in, they were put in incubators and fed.

"We were concerned because the temperatures were so cold Saturday morning, we were concerned that they're not able to regulate their body temperature when they're this young," Long said. "So we immediately were assessing them, we put them in our incubator to warm them up, and bottle feeding them, trying to keep them alive."

The runt didn't survive, but the other three are thriving, thanks to the quick work of the humane society and fosters like Sarah Elliott.

"It's around-the-clock feeding, every three to four hours," Elliott said. "It's stimulating them to go to the bathroom like the mom normally would. It requires heating discs to make sure they stay warm."

Stepping up to help

Elliott said she saw the need for urgent help on a Facebook page for local fosters, and immediately jumped in. She helped care for the recent rescues found abandoned on the trail.

"Just in the few days that I've had them, they've already gained two ounces each," Elliott said about the recent rescues. "They're doing great and healthy and active, so it makes me feel great that they are doing a lot better."

Need for animal fosters

Long said that in recent months, the Humane Society has seen a big uptick in animal abandonment.

She said the shelter is at capacity, which is why she emphasizes the need for more fosters to help save as many animals as possible.

During these hard times, Long also wants anyone struggling to know they have options that don't include dumping their pets.

"Your animal shelter is not the judgment police. They want to help," Long said. "They want to provide services, resources, we will give you food, we will give you beds, we will give you crates, we will help you. And if you need to surrender, we're going to help you with that too."

It is worth noting that abandoning an animal is a crime in Harford County, but the Humane Society said their focus right now is on making sure the puppies stay healthy.

It's expected that the puppies will go up for adoption sometime in mid-December.

You can find information on adoptions, donations, or fostering by visiting this website.