1 pit bull puppy survives after litter abandoned in Madera County

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A disturbing rescue after a litter of puppies was dumped on the side of a Madera County Road. Six American pit bull terriers were found inside an empty bag of dog food.

Gideon is the only surviving puppy from that litter dumped on the side of the road. Vets think he's about four weeks old. He's severely malnourished. And he's got about a 50/50 shot at surviving.

This cell phone video was taken Tuesday morning after Gideon finally ate some puppy food on his own.

The Fresno Bully rescue says it was called to a field in Madera County on Monday night by a Good Samaritan who saw the puppies being dumped off.

"We think they were alive when they were dumped in the bag, that they were just all starting to die because they were left without any water or resources to be able to survive," said Bridgette Boothe, Fresno Bully Rescue.

The witness didn't realize the bag was full of puppies initially. When he went to investigate, his discovery was disturbing. "This little guy and another one, the Good Samaritan picked up, but the other one died pretty much immediately. So he's the sole survivor. But we hope he continues to be strong enough to pull through," said Boothe.

Vets at Abby Pet Hospital say they're not really sure yet whether Gideon will survive. The Bully Rescue group took Gideon to Abby, and chose his name -- because it means "warrior." They hope this tough pup will survive. They also want whoever dumped him and the other puppies to be caught.

Bridgette Boothe volunteers with the rescue group. She says failing to fix pets is part of the reason why entire litters are abandoned in the valley frequently. "Unwanted litters are dumped every single day, whether it's like this in a field or in county shelters. It's just non-stop. So fixing your animals is the best way to be part of the solution and help this cycle stop."

If and when he's strong enough, the IV could be removed from Gideon's neck. Slow and stead improvements are good news for this little guy.