How 38 Puppies Survived a Tragic Transporter Vehicle Accident
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2022) – The holiday season seems naturally inclined towards wonder and Helen Woodward Animal Center experiences its fair share in the many creatures that come through its doors. This morning, however, a true Christmas miracle took place when an animal transportation vehicle carrying 40 Heart of Louisiana Humane Society puppies flipped onto its side in Longview, Texas. Despite the seriousness of the accident, nearly all of the lives were saved, including that of the driver. The Helen Woodward Animal Center team is filled with gratitude and welcomes these holiday miracles to the Center tomorrow morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. Follow up photos and b-roll will be sent to media upon the puppies’ arrival.
Helen Woodward Animal Center and Heart of Louisiana have proudly partnered on over 40 transports since 2020. The partnership has been salvation to nearly 2,000 Winnfield, Louisiana orphan pets, pulled from overburdened kennels, and placed into loving, west-coast, forever homes. In fact, 90% of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s orphan pets arrive from overcrowded shelters and open access facilities across the country where, without a partner shelter willing to open its doors, euthanasia is often the only option.
This morning’s transport vehicle accident took place between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. in Longview, Texas. The driver who was headed to a hotel for an overnight rest reported that the car hit a center median and flipped, skidding onto its side and sliding across the highway when the driver overcorrected. The driver was able to call 911 and Longview Fire Department Station 3 and the Longview Police Department immediately closed down the highway, flipped the vehicle upright and towed it to their station. Assessments were done by the firemen on each puppy and an emergency vet was contacted to do additional health checks. Unfortunately, two of the puppies did not survive the accident.
“In my 23 years at the Center, I have never experienced this type of a tragedy,” stated Helen Woodward Animal Center VP of Development Renee Resko. “We’ve all been so fortunate to just expect that each transport will arrive safely. There is so much care put into these journeys by the participating shelters and the transportation companies who do all of this for the love of the animals. This morning’s accident came as a shock to all of us.”
The 38 surviving puppies will arrive at Helen Woodward Animal Center tomorrow morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. Each puppy will immediately receive an additional medical assessment from the Center’s veterinary team. Those puppies deemed healthy may be available for adoption as early as this weekend.
“We know that one of the puppies has a broken leg and one has some mild head trauma so we will be keeping those puppies with us until they are fully recovered,” stated Helen Woodward Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz. “We are incredibly moved by the severity of the accident and the miracle of how many of them not only survived but were safe from injury. We put all of our hearts into looking after orphan pets but I sincerely feel that something greater was looking out for them this morning.”
For direct inquiries, contact Helen Woodward PR Director Jessica Gercke at [email protected] or (619) 977-0999.
For more information on Helen Woodward Animal Center or to adopt, go online at www.animalcenter.org or call (858) 756-4117 x 313.
