Eight puppies left for dead in triple-digit heat will soon be up for adoption

TARRANT COUNTY — A good Samaritan took action after finding a litter of puppies abandoned in a container in a field along Meadow Vista Lane in Crowley this week. The eight puppies were barely clinging to life in triple-digit heat.

It's a happy ending for the litter of puppies, but the story could have been much different. Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputy Collin Stephenson said someone left them for dead where a new development is going up and where no cameras are present.

"I don't know how long they were out. I'm guessing a day or two," Stephenson said.

Deputy Stephenson, who has four dogs of his own, raced to the call of puppies abandoned in a crate.

"It's kind of sad thinking how someone just drops off puppies," Stephenson said. "There's a lot of different resources you can use like giving them to shelters or rescues."

Stephenson called Tarrant County Sheriff's Deputy Haley Drew, who has a Labrador Retriever and a 235-pound Irish Wolfhound.

"I'm a huge animal lover," Drew said. "Of course, I immediately went to his call to help out. There were just a bunch of puppies with no water in a field."

The two deputies immediately gave the puppies water and put them in air conditioning.

"It's important to call us immediately because we don't know how long the dog has been out there or the dogs have been out there. It could be days. They could be on the verge of dying," Drew said.

The puppies made a special impression on Deputy Stephenson.

"I'm actually going to adopt one," Stephenson said. "It's kind of cool. It's full circle. Thank God that guy called in saying there's dogs out here, and hopefully we can get the other seven or eight that are in there adopted out."

The puppies with a second chance at life are all named after chips. The remaining seven up for adoption are Lays Potato, Cheese Itz, Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, Pringles, and Ruffles.

Fort Worth Animal Care and Control is currently looking for foster homes for the puppies, who are believed to be six-week-old Shepherd and Border Collie mixes. If you are interested in fostering the little chips, you can contact the agency at fortworthtexas.gov/animals or send an email to FWACCFOSTER@fortworthtexas.gov. More than 1,000 animals are in need of a home at FWACC.

Abandoning an animal is a felony in Texas. The punishment can include up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.