Shelter seeks foster families for abandoned pups

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The Lockhart-Caldwell County Animal Shelter is seeking families to foster 10 puppies that were recently abandoned in rural Caldwell County.
The puppies, which were delivered to the shelter by Caldwell County Animal Control late last week, are less than two weeks old, shelter employees speculate.
“Their umbilical so

res haven”t even healed yet,” said shelter director Cheryl Schneider. “That usually indicates that they are less than two or three weeks old.”
Because of their age, the puppies need to be bottle fed every two to three hours. Further, it is difficult to judge the litter”s breeds.
“When they”re this little, there really isn”t any way to tell,” Schneider said. “After they grow up a little bit, we might be able to make a more educated guess on what kind of dogs they are.”
Schneider said that the shelter often needs foster families, and frequently has volunteers to foster, but resources were strained because of this situation.
“There are ten of these puppies,” she said. “That”s a lot of puppies for one family to take care of, since they still have to be bottle fed. We are going to need more help to make sure these guys grow up.”
She said one volunteer agreed to foster five of the puppies, leaving the remaining five in need. It is best, she noted, that fosters take at least two of the pups, because they are still so young they fare better with physical contact with their litter-mates.
“We”re going to be happy if we get five volunteers who take one each,” she said. “But it will be easier on the fosters to take two, because if they”re separated from one another, they will cry because they can”t cuddle or play, and they won”t have anyone to keep warm with.”
After they have been weaned and are able to survive on their own, the puppies will be available for adoption through the shelter – if the foster families choose not to adopt.
For information on volunteering with the Lockhart-Caldwell County Animal Shelter, contact the shelter at 376-3336.