06/25/2026
❤️🐾 THE LANCASTER DOGS: AN UPDATE 🐾❤️
A few days ago, we introduced you to six dogs rescued from one heartbreaking situation. Today, we know a lot more about them and their stories. Most importantly...We want you to know that they're safe.
❤️ Meet Dottie.
Dottie is the brindle and white momma who stole everyone's heart the moment she was reunited with her babies. What we've learned is almost impossible to wrap your head around.
Those three little puppies you've all been following are just 4 weeks old... and they're the only survivors out of a litter of twelve. 💔
They spent a couple of days separated from their mom before we could get to any of them. We truly believe that reuniting them saved their lives. Since being back with Dottie, all three puppies are thriving while receiving treatment for coccidiosis and multiple intestinal parasites.
Dottie herself has survived on her own for the last couple of years after her owner moved away, only returning occasionally. During that time she produced multiple litters while compassionate neighbors quietly made sure she had food and water whenever they could.
At the vet, Dottie weighed just 59 pounds and was given a body condition score of 3 out of 9. We believe she's a Great Dane/American Bulldog mix, which means she should be significantly larger than she is today.
She's currently being treated for multiple intestinal parasites and has also begun a 28-day course of treatment for Lyme disease.
To every neighbor who left food or water for her... thank you. You are the reason Dottie and her surviving puppies are still alive.
❤️ Then there's King Charles.
The handsome black boy with the sad eyes and scars covering his body. He's only about a year and a half old and weighs 69 pounds.
King Charles is one of the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet. He has this incredible way of quietly comforting people, despite everything he's been through himself.
We also learned something heartbreaking.
King Charles is Dottie's son from a previous litter... and he's also the father of her newest puppies.
He was picked up several days before the others and immediately started on dewormer and flea and tick prevention. Thankfully, he was in relatively good health by the time he saw the veterinarian.
Once again, we owe a huge thank you to the neighbors who helped keep him alive until help arrived.
❤️ And finally... Margie.
Our sweet redbone coonhound. Margie is about 9 years old and, as far as anyone knows, has spent her entire life on a chain. Unlike the others, she likely never would have survived on her own.
She weighed only 50 pounds and was also given a body condition score of 3 out of 9. She has a long road ahead.
She's being treated for intestinal parasites, and her dental disease is severe. Several teeth are broken off, several more will need to be removed, and once she's healthier and has gained some much-needed weight, she'll undergo a full dental procedure.
During her exam, the veterinarian discovered something we hadn't noticed. Margie still had milk.
Our hearts sank. We rushed back to search the property, terrified there might be another litter of puppies waiting for their mom.
Instead, we found one puppy who appeared to be hers. He looked just like her. He was about 10 to 12 weeks old and had passed away more than a week earlier. He was nowhere near her chained area. Run free, sweet boy. 💔🌈
There are no words big enough to thank every single person who helped these dogs survive long enough for us to find them.
To the neighbors who quietly put out food and water...To the people who called for help...To everyone who donated...To everyone who shared the post... Thank you!
This week, veterinary care alone for these dogs has exceeded $1,000, not counting countless miles driven and a whole lot of lost sleep.
We wish we'd known about these dogs sooner. We would have come sooner.
But what matters now is this: They're safe. They're loved. They're finally receiving the medical care and basic necessities that they should have had all along.
And with any luck, the cycle of suffering for this little family and for the city of Lancaster is finally coming to an end.
From the bottom of our hearts...
Thank you for helping us make that possible. ❤️🐾
(Edited to add that 4 other adult dogs from this family have been taken in by others and are loved dearly and we are incredibly thankful to those families... Knox, Toby, Dixie, and Buddy. All of them deserved better and we are grateful that they never have to worry or fend for themselves again.)
