A team of rescuers found dozens of dogs on the brink of death and starvation living on what has been called a "dog dumping" ground in Lancaster.
Some of the puppies arrived safely at their temporary home at Wagmor Pets Dog Rescue in Studio City.
A day before, the pups -- some pregnant, but mostly all with ribcages sticking out -- were living off of the Lancaster desert trying to survive.
“I received a call that there was a property in Lancaster that was known as a dumping ground -- they go by and dump dogs,” Melissa Bacelar of Wagmor Pets Dog Rescue said.
Bacelar says the man living on the property has been overwhelmed by the amount of dogs that have shown up, counting 40 of them at least.
Many are pregnant, sick and some have even been found dead.
“We found transporters. We found places for the dogs to go. We are raising donations. That is the biggest thing,” Bacelar said.
They managed to save 10 puppies and immediately took them to the vet.
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Bacelar says these puppies are starving since they have had to scrounge for food, which is evident by their protruding bones and their low weights.
“These puppies are sick. They have bacteria. They are not treated well. They weren’t eating well,” Bacelar said.
But, saving these puppies is no easy feat. The cost is a lot for a rescue to take on and they don’t have any extra space so they have to rely on fosters to come forward.
“When you are hit with situations like this, it is unfortunately almost every day now there has been more of an influx of dogs,” Bacelar said.
Even though resources are thin, she says it is worth it.
“The best part of the whole thing is …. making sure dogs are fed and making sure they are happy and safe the rest of their lives,” Bacelar said.
Because they have no more room to take on any more rescues, five of them are going to a foster home.
Rescuers say they are surprised by how social the dogs are, they will be ready for adoption in two weeks.
As for the rest of the dogs in Lancaster, the rescue team is working closely with the man on the property, helping to provide food and resources.
Those interested in learning more about adoption, fostering or donating can visit Wagmor Pets' website and Instagram page.
