Two of the puppies have found homes since their rescue, while 9 others are recuperating at Virginia German Shepherd Rescue

Two litters of German shepherd puppies found “deep in the woods” in Ridgeway, Virginia, are now focused on building enough strength to move into forever homes.

According to a Facebook post from Henry County Animal Shelter, Henry County Animal Control officers received several calls on March 5 about puppies running near a Virginia road.

Animal control officers responded to the scene and found “2 different litters deep in the woods scavenging for food. Only 1 mile apart from each other. Coincidence? We think not.” Authorities found 11 German shepherd puppies in total “that were terrified, starving and left to die.”

“These puppies were abandoned. Dropped on the side of the road to fend for themselves,” Henry County Animal Shelter added on social media

Following this rescue, two of the dogs were well enough to be adopted from the Virginia shelter, according to WDBJ7. The county shelter transferred the remaining 9 puppies to Virginia German Shepherd Rescue so the canines could receive specialized care and time to recover.

Monja Vadnais, a volunteer and foster with Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, told WDBJ7 that the puppies arrived malnourished and covered in ticks. Five of the dogs, four of which tested positive for parvo were hospitalized shortly after arriving at the rescue because of health issues.

All of the puppies are now out of the animal hospital and residing in foster homes, where they are focused on safely putting on weight and building up strength.
As of March 25, Virginia German Shepherd Rescue has spent over $35,000 treating the nine German shepherd puppies they took in from the group of 11, WDBJ7 reported.

Once the puppies have recovered from the physical neglect they endured early in life, they will become available for adoption.