RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Six newborn puppies and their parents just made a long journey to a new life here in the Triangle.
It took three car trips and a flight to get the family from a crowded shelter in western North Carolina to a foster home in Knightdale.
The puppies have traveled more in their eight days than some dogs ever do. They were born at a rural shelter in the far western corner of North Carolina, which like so many other animal rescue facilities across the country, is already full.
Staff reached out to Triangle Beagle Rescue, located about 360 miles away, to find a foster home for the puppies and their mom and dad.
“It became a family trip to the Triangle,” said Leann Tenbusch, with Triangle Beagle Rescue.
It was quite the journey across the state. The shelter manager at Valley River Humane Society in Marble, North Carolina first drove the beagle family 70 miles east to Waynesville. Another volunteer drove them 100 miles to Hickory where a pilot flew them to RDU International Airport. A final drive to Knightdale brought them to their foster home.
Tenbusch says it’s heartwarming to see so many people step up to help the little family, especially when so many shelters and rescues are overwhelmed.
“Shelters are packed,” she said. “Rescue workers are tired. We all know inflation is crazy. People are having to make difficult decisions about their dogs because they can’t feed them or get them vet care, so all the volunteers kind of banding together to try to get them when there are open spots in rescues, it’s amazing.”
Tenbusch says the pilot involved in the rescue volunteers with Pilots N Paws, a nonprofit that provides free flights to rescued animals.
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“These newborns were able to have their first flight, and it was awesome,” Tenbusch noted.
This is only the beginning of their journey, though. When they’re old enough, the puppies -along with their mom, Meredith, and dad, Gibson – will be ready for new homes and families and even more adventures once they’re adopted.
Once the dogs are ready for adoption, they’ll be online here.
