What started as a late-night run to Walmart in Livermore turned into a full-blown rescue operation on Wednesday when a Good Samaritan spotted 17 tiny puppies wandering the parking lot. Before help could reach them, one puppy was struck and killed by a vehicle. The remaining 16 were quickly scooped up, loaded into cars and rushed to East Bay SPCA facilities for emergency care. The surviving pups, mostly black-and-white, Border Collie–type mixes, are now split between the shelter’s Oakland and Dublin campuses.
Shelter scramble and intake
Staff at East Bay SPCA told the San Francisco Chronicle the puppies are about nine weeks old and, thankfully, were evaluated as being in “overall good health.” They still need the basics before they can go home with anyone: vaccinations, deworming, microchips and spay or neuter surgery. According to the Chronicle, the surprise intake arrived just as East Bay SPCA wrapped up the first year of its three-year contract with the city of Livermore to handle stray animals.
Good Samaritans corral the litter
Local rescuers told NBC Bay Area they eventually found the wandering pups huddled in a grassy creek bed behind the Livermore Walmart. It was not a quick grab-and-go: volunteers spent hours chasing, coaxing and carefully gathering the wriggly litter into two cars. One rescuer said several puppies were visibly underweight with “big, wormy bellies,” and described working through the night to get every surviving pup into shelter care.
Shelter care and socialization
Once the puppies arrived, East Bay SPCA staff jumped straight into medical checks and behavioral work, according to The Mercury News. Shier pups were reintroduced to more outgoing littermates to help them gain confidence and learn basic social skills. Shelter leaders told reporters they scrambled to clear kennels and prep food to make room for the sudden influx, and noted that a few of the puppies will likely need extra behavioral support before they are ready for adoption.
Legal angle and what happens next
The San Francisco Chronicle points out that California law makes the willful abandonment of an animal a misdemeanor offense. CBS News Bay Area reports the Livermore Police Department had not yet responded to questions about whether the Walmart dumping is under active investigation.
Where to look for adoption updates
NBC Bay Area reports East Bay SPCA expects some of the puppies could be ready for adoption in about a week, depending on how they handle medical treatment and socialization. The shelter is asking interested adopters to keep an eye on its online adoption listings for real-time updates. Staff also put out an appeal for foster homes and donations to help cover the unplanned medical, food and boarding costs that come with suddenly caring for 16 young dogs.
The quick response from Good Samaritans likely saved most of the litter, shelter officials told Livermore Vine. East Bay SPCA is urging anyone who recognizes the puppies or knows how they ended up near the Walmart to contact the organization or Livermore police. For details on adoption, fostering or donating to help with the puppies’ care, residents can visit the East Bay SPCA website or reach out directly to its Tri-Valley or Oakland adoption centers.
