Puppies abandoned in Bledsoe County

PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) — Four puppies were abandoned on the side of a road in Bledsoe County. Volunteers with Maringa Animal Sanctuary picked them up, but only one pups survived.

“My first reaction is not again,” said Judy LaGrone, President of Maringa Animal Sanctuary.

She says she sees animal abuse cases far too often.

LaGrone went on, “We need help. If these animals were taken care of, if they had a reason to stop throwing them out, if they had a reason to keep them home – so that they don’t get shot. So they don’t get hit by a car.”

She says some of these abuse cases are avoidable through more policies and law enforcement.

“I talked to rescues up north. They don’t have the problem up there that we do down here. There are spay and neuter laws up there. You have to have certificates, you have to have licenses to be a breeder,” LaGrone said. “Here, anybody can go in there backyard and breed whatever.”

Jacob Hitchcock volunteers at Maringa and says these cases are heartbreaking. “It’s sad to see a sweet little innocent puppy laying there. You want to do anything you can do to help it.”

According to the FBI, Tennessee is ranked 5th in the nation for animal cruelty cases.

“What we’re doing, 700 rescues into it, it just feels like we haven’t made a difference,” LaGrone said.