INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two animal rescue groups in Indian River County are at odds over what to do about seven puppies that were separated from their stray mother and two siblings. The seven pups are at the Humane Society. The mom and siblings are at HALO.
The two groups cannot agree on how to reunite the litter. Nor can they agree on the ages of the pups and whether or not the pups should, in deed, be with their mother.
The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County took in the seven puppies on Saturday, when a resident who found them rounded them up and brought them in.
He had tried to gather the mom and the two other pups but was unsuccessful, according to HALO Rescue founder Jacque Petrone. He was, however, able to catch the mom and one pup on Sunday – but discovered the Humane Society closed on Sunday and arranged for the pair to go to HALO. He told Petrone of the other pup still hiding in the woods.
Petrone took the mom back to the site and the mom found the missing pup, she said.
“No puppy should be left without their mom,” Petrone said Monday evening, explaining that she reached out to the Humane Society various times throughout the day trying to reunite the mom with the seven pups.
Petrone estimates the pups’ ages – based on the two siblings in her care – at three or four weeks old. The two she has weigh just under 3 pounds, she said, adding that it appears their eyes opened maybe a week or so ago.
She added the two pups still nurse from their mother and that she is heavy with milk.
The Humane Society refutes the age, saying the pups are older.
“Our shelter’s veterinarian has examined them and she has determined that they are approximately 6-8 weeks old, have teeth and are eating well on their own,” the Humane Society said in a prepared statement.
Petrone said that when she reached out to Humane Society Executive Director Chalmers Morse about reuniting the litter, he suggested she surrender the mother and two pups into the Humane Society’s care.
Petrone told VeroNews.com that she told Morse she couldn’t do that because the Humane Society is not a no-kill shelter and there was no guarantee that neither the mom nor pups would be euthanized.
She said Morse denied her request to take the seven puppies until such time as they would be old enough for adoption.
“This was such an easy one,” she said of the decision Morse could have made.
The Humane Society is prepared to treat and care for the seven puppies, according to the prepared statement it released.
“They will be treated for hookworm, vaccinated, spayed and neutered, microchipped and placed for adoption,” the statement reads. “It is our understanding that Helping Animals Live and Overcome (HALO) is caring for a mother dog and puppies that they believe are part of the same litter. We contacted HALO, and offered to treat, sterilize and vaccinate these animals at our expense.”
The statement continues to say the pups are expected to be ready for adoption in two or three weeks.
“The puppies brought to our shelter will receive the same excellent care provided to all of the animals brought to The Humane Society,” the statement reads.