Well I can’t believe that was what was making all the noise!
Police received a report of noise coming from an apartment in Little Rock, Ark., and sent Officer Chace Hunton to find out who was causing all the trouble in the abandoned apartment. And what he found, was the last thing he expected.
Instead of unruly teens, he found 11 tiny puppies, curled up in the corner of one of the rooms, the mama dog anywhere to be found. Chace knew immediately who to call – his wife, Hannah. Her sister works for a local rescue shelter.
Orphaned puppies rescued by Little Rock residents. Photo by Best Friends Animal Society
“He said, ‘I need you to look at the picture I just sent you,” Hannah said. “There was a box of teeny, tiny, filthy, fully infested puppies, and some of their eyes weren’t even open.” She said Chace called the local animal shelter, but there wasn’t any room for the puppies, who were in need of medical care.
This is part of what we do. We teach community members what to do to get involved and to help save lives.”
Natalie was able to help Hannah get bottles, food and vet care for the puppies. But soon, Hannah had even more help than she could have expected. After posting on her neighborhood group, people rushed to lend a hand to the couple.
Around the clock, there were neighbors who signed up to help bathe the puppies, treat them for fleas and take care of them. As the dogs got healthier, they were sent to foster homes. Of the 11 puppies, nine survived.
Winston, the puppy. Photo by Best Friends Animal Society
“We sent people home with their puppies and a bag of supplies that had everything they needed,” Hannah said. “I was finally able to get some sleep.” Two of the puppies found homes in Chicago, and the rest were adopted by families in the neighborhood, including a close friend of Chace and Hannah’s, Laura Jones.
Laura had been on night-feeding duty to feed Winston. When Winston’s first adoption fell through, Laura knew he was her dog. “There was no way I was going to put him on a bus,” Jones said.
I was not too terribly sad that the adoption fell through because we absolutely fell in love.”
Natalie said she hopes that others see that when people step up to help, great things can happen. “Every rescue and shelter in the state of Arkansas, especially in Central Arkansas, needs help,” she said. “They need volunteers, whether that is helping in the shelter or transporting for them. If you can foster, that will be the best thing… and fostering is always temporary.”
It was an moment that Natalie, along with Chace and Hannah, said changed them. “The whole experience tugged on my heartstrings for sure,” she said.
