On the remote island of El Hierro, just off Spain’s coast, the team at El Juaclo — the island’s only animal rescue — works around the clock to protect abandoned animals.
But even with everything they’ve seen, one recent discovery left them heartbroken.
A local resident had gone out to toss her trash when something unusual caught her eye near a garbage heap — a cardboard box, with faint movement inside.
When she looked closer, she realized it was filled with puppies, barely old enough to walk, huddled together for warmth and comfort.
She quickly called emergency services, who reached out to El Juaclo for help.
Volunteer Vanesa rushed to the scene and found eight fragile, dehydrated puppies piled on top of one another, clearly abandoned and in urgent need of care.
Vanesa carefully gathered the pups and brought them to Eva, a seasoned foster caregiver. Under Eva’s watchful eye, the puppies began to recover — gobbling up food, getting hydrated, and slowly regaining their strength.
“These puppies are incredibly affectionate,” El Juaclo shared. “They crave human connection and follow their caregivers everywhere.”
Their story has become a call to action for better enforcement of animal welfare laws on the island. El Juaclo hopes local authorities will take more responsibility to prevent acts of neglect like this from happening again.
Once the puppies are strong enough, they’ll be transferred to a partner rescue group in Tenerife, where they’ll be prepared for adoption into loving homes.
From a filthy cardboard box to warm beds and full bellies, these puppies are well on their way to the happy lives they deserve.
To support rescues like this, donations can be made to El Juaclo:
IBAN: ES62 2100 6763 1122 0022 9544
BIC/Swift: CAIXESBBXXX
