Pound Rescue recently shared the recovery story of two puppies rescued from a home where they’d been trapped for days with human remains.

On Sunday, May 12, the Okotoks-based animal shelter posted images of Arctica and Fox, two puppies believed to be four and eight months old, respectively.

President of Pound Rescue, Rosa Kurtz, says someone reached out to her to tell her about the puppies and a cat who had been in a home with their deceased owner for as long as seven days.

“Someone had been found deceased with a dog, also deceased, along with two dogs and a cat in the same residence. She called me, and I said I would take them in right away because it was an urgent situation. The dogs were taken to the vet to be examined because one was not responding very well to different testing.”

The cat was found to be underweight, seemed to have a leg tremor, and is believed to be deaf.

Fox was dangerously dehydrated and was placed on an IV, and while Arctica was able to come home with Kurtz, she was clearly shaken.

“Arctica was showing signs of distress. She was screaming very rapidly, her heart rate was really high, she wasn’t lifting her head very well… She was in my bed all night, so I was monitoring her there and having cold cloths on her, just wiping her with a cloth every so often to keep her responsive.”

By the next morning, both dogs were doing much better and were taken into the care of a foster family together, with another foster having been found for the cat.

Kurtz has been getting regular updates on the pups, who seem to have formed a strong bond.

“Because they’d gone through some trauma, they were very connected to each other. It’s very sweet to see how they interact and how they are with each other because of what they’ve gone through. They’re totally different dogs, I’m not sure how long they’ve been together but they sure seem like they know each other quite well. They’re very sweet and very well adjusted to the love and compassion that our foster has with them.”

A second post from May 15 included pictures of Fox and Arctica in much higher spirits, with a message that they’d soon be made available for adoption.

AcrticaPhoto of Arctica, courtesy of Pound Rescue.

Both posts saw waves of support from locals, which Kurtz attributes to the tragedy and perseverance of the dogs’ stories.

“I was shocked actually; we’re getting way more support than just a regular surrender or the stories of how we get any other dogs. I think this one touched people’s hearts more because humans were involved, and the dogs, it’s a sad situation all around… Foxy, she’s the older one, and she attaches to you very quickly, she wants you around her. I think she’s a little bit traumatized from not understanding what’s happened and why she was not looked after. They’re both absolutely wonderful, beautiful dogs.”

Pound Rescue celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. They’re currently preparing for an off-leash cleanup on May 25 in Okotoks from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information on adoptions and their upcoming events can be seen on their website.