When a staff member at the SPCA of Petersburg & Colonial Heights noticed a cardboard Lay’s chips box sitting outside, they didn’t think much of it — until they looked inside.
Curled together on top of an unplugged heating pad were seven newborn puppies, so young that some of their eyes hadn’t even opened.
The morning air had dipped into the low 40s, and without help, the tiny pups might not have survived. Thankfully, they were rushed indoors, cleaned up, and carefully warmed.
Knowing the babies needed around-the-clock care, the SPCA reached out to Richmond Ruff House, a foster-based, all-volunteer rescue.
“We could take them into our home to assure they received feedings every four hours,” said Cindy Larkin, director and cofounder of Richmond Ruff House. “They are doing great! They’re putting on weight, opening their eyes, and already go through a can of formula every day.”
Even with bottle feedings, nothing compares to the love of a mother. So the team introduced the pups to Libby, a foster dog who was still nursing her own litter.
“Libby jumped right in,” Larkin said. “She cleaned them up and even laid down for them. By the afternoon, they finally latched on.”
But as much as Libby wanted to help, caring for her own eight pups plus seven more was too much for her small Whippet-mix frame. She continued to nurture the abandoned babies with cleaning and comfort, even if she couldn’t fully feed them.
“She was definitely acting as a surrogate mother,” Larkin said. “Minus the actual feeding.”
For now, the puppies will be bottle-fed by volunteers until they’re old enough to wean. In time, they’ll get their vaccinations and eventually be placed into loving homes — safe, warm, and far away from cardboard boxes.
To help the chips puppies get the care they need, you can make a donation to Richmon Ruff House or contribute to their Amazon Wish List.
