Cardboard box dumped outside shelter in 15°F—what’s inside breaks hearts

A humane society in Missouri recently shared a plea on Facebook about dumping animals after finding a box of freezing cold puppies in their parking lot.

On Monday evening, the Central Missouri Humane Society noticed someone pull behind an employee’s car. This person got out with a box, dropped it behind the car and sped away. Noting the car’s speed as the person left, they had a sense of what might be inside the box. The humane society wrote in a Facebook post that the employees “assumed it would be something alive.”

When the team went to collect the box, they discovered four puppies inside, three female and one male. The person left them outside in 15-degree weather with no note or explanation. The employees were heartbroken, but also relieved they saw it unfold as they could get the puppies out of the cold immediately.

“We are pleading with people to not dump animals, especially in these extreme conditions,” the post reads. “Had we not found these puppies right away, they probably would not have made it in the 15° weather.”

The Facebook post said the puppies will be available for adoption in about a week unless an owner comes forward and officially surrenders them. This would decrease their stray hold time.

A Central Missouri Humane Society representative told Newsweek that if an owner were to come forward to surrender them, the puppies would be immediately placed up for adoption.

“As far as legal repercussions, it’s not much, as the state of Missouri has pretty loose animal neglect laws,” the representative said.

The Missouri Revisor of Statutes website states a person commits animal neglect if he or she fails to provide adequate care during the ownership of an animal or knowingly abandons an animal in any place without making provisions for its adequate care. The offense is a class C misdemeanor unless they’ve been found guilty previously under this section, which would turn it into a class B misdemeanor.

The humane society received about 15 adoption applications the first night after posting the story on Facebook. Those interested in adopting one of the puppies, or another available animal, can fill out an online survey on the Central Missouri Humane Society website.

Viewer Reactions

Devastated by the news, Facebook users flocked to the post. Within two days, it amassed more than 1,500 likes, 200 comments and 400 shares.

“That’s so sad!!! Breaks my heart for those little guys,” commented one user, while a second added: “Thank you for saving them! Poor innocent puppies.”

Looking on the bright side, another person wrote: “Awful they did that but glad they ‘dumped’ them here instead of a back road where it could have been way worse. They look adorable.”