12/27/2025
Abandoned Puppies Found With Rubber Bands Around Snouts Melt Hearts When Rescued.
What started as a routine maintenance call in Wichita turned into a race against time to save two innocent lives.
A maintenance worker entered an apartment to fix a broken pipe, but was met with a smell far worse than mildew. In the corner, he found a small crate. Inside, two pit bull mix puppies sat in shocking silence, surrounded by filth. Their faces were swollen, their eyes wide with fear.
He immediately contacted the Wichita Animal Action League. Rescuers arrived to find the puppies in desperate condition, too weak to even whimper. At the vet, a horrifying truth was revealed: tiny rubber bands, the kind used for hair, had been wound tightly around each puppy's muzzle. The bands had cut deep into their skin, restricting blood flow for what was likely an entire day.
The vet carefully removed the bands. The moment they were cut, blood rushed back and the room filled with the puppies' first painful cries—a sound rescuers won't soon forget. Just a few hours longer, and the damage would have been permanent or fatal.
Now named Tank and Lucy, the siblings are safe in foster care. They are healing, playing, and learning what comfort feels like. Their resilience is inspiring, but their story is a solemn reminder: that burst pipe wasn't an inconvenience—it was a miracle. It’s what led someone to that apartment just in time.
Sometimes, salvation comes from the most unexpected places. Tonight, hug your pets a little tighter.