Staff Reporter
What started as a fun road trip turned into a life-changing rescue mission when a woman stumbled upon a box of puppies in the desert.
Paige Rico was enjoying her first solo road trip, driving from California through Utah. Along the way, she stopped to enjoy the many scenes and go hiking. Everything was going smoothly, until she stopped to explore a desert spot in Utah.
As she walked around on the 110-degree summer day, she noticed a box. After approaching the box, Paige realized there were three tiny puppies inside! They were all alive and moving, but she knew they wouldn’t survive long if she didn’t get them out of the heat.
Paige immediately drove them to the nearest animal hospital. A veterinarian was able to see them immediately and determined they were severely dehydrated and hungry, but they were otherwise in good health. Two of the puppies were a healthy 4 pounds and the third puppy, the runt, was just 2 pounds.
After their evaluation, the veterinarian told Paige she was free to take the puppies home, or she could drive them to a shelter. Not wanting to put the puppies through the stress of a shelter, Paige opted to take all three dogs home and find them homes for herself.
It took two days to drive back home with all three puppies in tow. Speaking with The Dodo, Paige explained that as soon as she got home, life became chaotic. Taking care of three puppies is no easy feat!
They were energetic and playful and had to be potty trained and socialized. It was a lot of work, but Paige got through it and even found two of the puppies a loving home together!
The third puppy, Breck, was the runt of the litter. He was more timid and shy than the other two and he had formed a deep bond with Paige, who struggled with the idea of letting him go. So, she decided to adopt little Breck and offer him a loving home – and now they go on awesome adventures together!
It wasn’t long before Paige was ready for a road trip and she took Breck along with her. They drove to the same area Paige found the puppies and it brought back a lot of memories.
Speaking with The Dodo, Paige said, “Even though I saved the puppies, I really felt like they saved me, emotionally, because they instantly made me have so much purpose.”
She shares updates on social media of her new life with Breck and it seems they’re both living their best lives.
Watch the video below:
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site
