A dusty road, an empty house and a dog left behind.

Not only was the dog left behind, abandoned by the humans she counted on, she had a secret. She was going to be a momma soon. Seeking the safest place she could, trapped and alone, she made herself a nest under the shed where she had eight babies. Fortunately, neighbors saw that she was all alone and got food to her through the fence and sent out a call for help.

That call was answered by a generous family who had adopted their dog from Pup Squad. So, they reached out help. While Pup Squad's intake has been closed for several weeks, adoptions are slow, fosters are few and funds are dangerously low, how could we say no to this little family? Now we're reaching out to you, our generous supporters.

We need to raise the money to help get these pups and their momma, Dusty, ready for their happily ever afters.

In 2008 Pup Squad was founded by four former BARC volunteers who wanted to do more to help the puppies and mother dogs struggling in the City of Houston’s Animal Control facility. Almost daily, moms with litters were being picked up from the streets and brought into the shelter, in addition to boxes of puppies being dropped off by owners who lacked the time or resources to find them homes.

In a shelter setting, puppies have little chance of survival, as their young immune systems cause them to be extremely susceptible to falling ill. Deadly airborne diseases, to which they have no immunity, are everywhere, and even if a pup is old enough to receive their first vaccination, it is often not enough to fully protect them.

Tragically, pregnant and mother dogs brought in from the streets are too often euthanized once they reach a shelter environment. With these cycles of puppy illness and mother dog euthanasia being repeated, the Pup Squad founders turned to each other and said, “There’s got to be a better way.”

And so, Pup Squad Animal Rescue was born.

Dusty's puppies

Eight little lives and their sweet momma left alone to fend for themselves