Dogs, puppies in 'crisis' after abandonment in Central Valley

PINOLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Thirty-one dogs, many of them puppies, were rescued Friday by Bay Area groups from what they call a "crisis" situation in the Central Valley.

The dogs were excited to end up at a Pet Food Express store in Pinole. They were found abandoned in a homeless encampment in Merced. Crusher, a 7-week-old that was crushed by a shopping cart is recovering from surgery.

And then there's little Beans, a mere three-weeks-old -- abandoned in a shoebox in a Park in Tulare.

Babette was somehow separated from her litter and then abandoned herself. She has become Beans' surrogate mother for now.

"They get found, they get dumped," said Lynne Tingle of the Milo Foundation of Point Richmond. "We will get boxes of puppies left out in an almond orchard."

"Hurricanes, floods, fires -- there are so many natural disasters but what people don't pay attention to is there's a disaster every day in the Central Valley," said Ryan Darfler of MAD Dog Rescue.

They are inundated with dogs, strays, puppy breeders and dog fighters.

"They tend to cast away the ones that won't make money so whatever they need to continue to sell or breed, they keep and everything else goes to shelters," said Christine Del Ponte of the Tiny Pitbull.

Senior dogs, past their prime of breeding, are thrown out on the streets too, like 10-year-old Dakota.

Bay Area rescue organizations are sending vans weekly to the Central Valley and bringing those castaways here.

"The Bay Area is so dog-friendly -- we know they'll find loving homes here," said Sherri Franklin of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

Milo Foundation and MAD Dog Rescue will be looking for homes for most of the dogs.

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is waiving adoption fees this weekend for the older ones. As for the youngest, little Beans, a group called the Tiny Pitbull will be nursing him along as will the ever attentive Babette. More rescue runs are in the works.

Click here for more on the Tiny Pitbull organization.

Click here to learn more about the Milo Foundation.

Click here to learn more about MAD Dog Rescue.

Click here to learn more about Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.