Puppies with deadly disease rescued from local gravel pit; donations sought for treatment

TACOMA, Wash. — Four puppies continue to fight off a deadly disease after being rescued from a gravel pit in Tacoma last week.

Three puppies were found June 7 at the Dickson Waller Road Gravel Pit, according to a Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County press release. A fourth puppy was found June 8. All are Australian cattle dogs, said Lindsey Heaney, communications manager at the Humane Society.

A crew was about to start crushing rock when the gravel pit manager saw three puppies, according to the release. Jennifer Pallotta, contract administrator at Dickson, said she saw a photo of the puppies from her boss and immediately went to the site.

Pallotta knew right away something was wrong with the puppies. One puppy in particular didn’t want to lift its head, and none of the puppies ate or drank much, she said.

Pallotta sat with the puppies in a large bin and got sweatshirts to put over them for warmth.

“Just the sweetest puppies you can imagine … but I definitely knew that they weren’t doing well,” she said.

Pallotta believes the puppies were dumped together. She said the puppy found the next day had a similar demeanor.

The puppies were brought to the Humane Society and remain under its care, according to the release. All four were dehydrated, underweight and tested positive for parvovirus upon arrival.

Parvovirus is a contagious disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, Heaney said. It often causes severe stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting, which dehydrates the animal.

Heaney said a veterinary team is doing around-the-clock care for the puppies. It’s unclear if puppies were vaccinated or have recurring health issues due to a lack of medical history.

As of Tuesday, the puppies are doing “a lot better,” Heaney said. The team is hopeful all four puppies will survive.

The Humane Society has set up a donation page to help cover treatment expenses and already received $3,200 in donations.

“We’ve been having donations rolling in, and we’re just so grateful for the community and for their generosity already,” Heaney said.

Pallotta said she donated and hopes the puppies get a fair shot at finding a home.

“They all just broke our hearts,” Pallotta said. “They had such a sweet demeanor — there was no aggression there … I think that they would make very good family pets.”

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