On a sweltering afternoon in Cartagena, Colombia, a passerby near a bus station spotted something unusual resting on a pile of garbage. Curiosity led him closer to the overflowing dumpster, and to his shock, he discovered two tiny puppies lying on the heap of discarded paper and plastic.
The fragile babies, no more than a month old, were completely alone — their mother and littermates nowhere in sight. Though they looked as if they were peacefully asleep, it was clear they were in trouble. Alarmed, the man immediately contacted a local animal rescuer he trusted for help.
Without hesitation, Lina Patiño — founder of a local rescue — rushed to the scene with her partner, Jennifer Ponsford. Battling the oppressive heat, the two women gently gathered the weak pups and hurried them to their shelter.
“They had been tossed out next to the bus terminal like trash,” Patiño told The Dodo. “They were left there to die …”
When the rescuers examined the puppies, the extent of their suffering became clear. Their tiny bodies were crawling with ticks, and their swollen bellies were a sign of parasites. Despite the dire state they were in, Patiño and Ponsford refused to give up.
“They were malnourished and dehydrated, so we gave them food, water, parasite treatment, and medicine to keep the ticks away,” Patiño said. “At first, they were so exhausted and lifeless that I honestly feared they wouldn’t survive.”
Naming the little ones Enrique and Beto, the women anxiously watched over them. To their relief, after only a few days, the puppies began to show signs of recovery.
“By the third day, they were bursting with energy,” Patiño recalled. “We treated their skin with medicated baths, and from then on, they only kept improving.”
Now nearly 2 months old, Enrique and Beto are thriving. Freed from ticks and parasites, they’re finally receiving the nutrition they desperately needed. With full bellies, their playful spirits have blossomed. When they’re not curled up together for naps, they’re joyfully chasing each other around like healthy, happy pups.
Soon, they’ll be strong enough for their first vaccinations and, before long, ready to be adopted into loving homes. For now, they are enjoying every moment of affection from their rescuers — and Lina and Jennifer couldn’t be more grateful to see them safe and thriving.
“They were lucky to survive,” Patiño said. “And even luckier to find their angels.”