News

Actions

Puppies dumped in trash can five years ago reunited

Posted at 10:35 PM, May 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-26 00:35:03-04

It’s been five years since a litter of puppies were found in a trash can at Highland Heritage Park in Littleton. 

Four out of the five pups miraculously survived and on Friday, three of them saw their siblings for the first time since being adopted. 

One of the dogs, Gus Gus, couldn’t make it to the reunion. However, for the other three pups, Bridgette, Brutus, and Lilo, it’s a day that they and their owners will always remember. Time may have passed for the siblings, but the bond they share is something that will never be forgotten. 

Joe Stafford, director of animal law enforcement for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, said, "Unfortunately, somebody just had dumped them in a trash can here at the park…which is incomprehensible of course to me."

Thankfully, a park employee rescued the pups that dark day five years ago. 

Stafford said, "They were so fragile and so young, and so small that they could’ve very easily perished."

With the help of the humane society, the animals were put in foster care and a few months later were adopted by different families. While law enforcement was never able to find the person responsible for dumping the puppies, Stafford says their survival and Friday’s reunion are huge wins. 

Daniece Waggoner, Lilo’s owner, said, "It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been really neat to see the other puppies. People ask all the time about the other dogs and we just don’t know anything…I actually kind of started the process back in December of last year."

Waggoner reached out to the humane society and asked for help to bring the dogs and owners together. 

Katie Kryzwicki, Bridgette’s owner, said, ‘"I was sitting there with my family and I remember showing them the email…I was like, "Oh my gosh look at this. We’re going to have a reunion."’

Brutus’ owners, Warren and Claudia Moore, said, "It’s amazing that they can play with one another. They seem to recognize one another and they look exactly alike."

Kryzwicki said, "Hopefully we can all get together again and just see how they continue to all grow."

It’s a happy ending to a story of survival and coming home, and one that just might inspire others. 

Warren Moore said, "Go to your humane society. They’ve got a lot of dogs that need homes."

For more information on how to foster animals through the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region click here.