Abandoned puppies get new life in Carroll County - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

People are calling it the "homeless herd" -- a bundle of puppies left on the side of a highway in Carroll County. They're now safe and sound with a family who has volunteered to foster them.

It's not known how the puppies ended up in a ditch on the side of Interstate 20, but they were clearly abandoned by someone. There were 17-puppies from  four different litters. All were 4 to 8 weeks old and left in a laundry basket.
    
But a homeless hitchhiker was in the right place at the right time, and saved their lives

David Padgett and his wife are fostering the puppies. They took them in nearly two weeks ago after they were turned in to the Carroll County Animal Shelter.

"The shelter manager grabbed me by the arm and said I got to show you what came in today," said Teresa Leslie, president of the local humane society

Shelter workers told her that a homeless man was hitch-hiking near Interstate 20 at exit 19 in Temple when he heard the whimpers nearby. He said there they were in a laundry basket in the ditch.

"Being homeless himself, he said he didn't want these poor abandoned puppies to suffer," said Leslie.

So he walked up to the truck stop to look for help

"He found a good Samaritan at the truck stop, a local woman who agreed to take him to the local shelter. So they came down onto Interstate 20, loaded the basket of puppies into her car, drove to the shelter and turned them in so they would be safe," said Leslie.

The shelter is a high-kill facility -- more than half of the animals dropped off don't make it out alive. But there was no way the staff was going to let these puppies, who have already cheated fate once, die.

"When I first saw them, they were in pretty pitiful shape. They just sort of laid there and whimpered. And now they're playful, they're adorable, and we can tell that they are in good shape," Leslie said.

But it's the thought of how those puppies ended up in the ditch to begin with that just doesn't sit well with the humane society.

"Abandoning them on the side of the road under those conditions with cars buzzing by on 20, Knowing that sooner or later if no one found them, they'd either die of dehydration, starvation, or they'd get out in the road they'd get hit. They'd get killed. This is someone with no real regard for life," said Leslie.

The puppies have had their shots and have been treated for worms. Next week, they'll get spayed and neutered. At that point they're officially up for adoption.

All but three of the puppies now have permanent homes. The Padgett's say the remaining three puppies will likely be adopted very soon. If you are interested in adopting one, call David and Dana Padgett at 678-378-7040.