Rescued by Passerby, Brought to Humane Society of Harford County
For Immediate Release
Contact: Erin Long, Marketing & Development Manager | Humane Society of Harford County | 410-836-1090, x106 | erin@harfordshelter.org
Fallston, MD (October 22, 2025) — The Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) is caring for newborn puppies after a Good Samaritan made a startling discovery early Saturday morning – four tiny puppies left in a box along a walking trail off Route 7 and Creswell Road near the Riverside Apartments in Belcamp, MD.
The morning temperatures were in the low 50s when the passerby spotted the box. Inside were four fragile puppies, only a day or two old, their eyes still closed and completely defenseless. Without their mother – or human intervention – they had no chance of survival on their own.
The Good Samaritan gently gathered the puppies and rushed them to HSHC, where staff immediately began administering care and warming the pups in an incubator. One of HSHC’s dedicated team members took the litter home overnight to bottle feed them every couple of hours. By Sunday, one of the shelter’s experienced foster parents stepped in to continue their care.
Unfortunately, the smallest of the litter passed away, but the remaining three puppies are stable and thriving in their foster home.
“Newborn puppies like these need their mother,” said Amanda Hickman, executive director at HSHC. “We’re so grateful that someone found them when they did. Just a few more hours in the cold could have been tragic.”
HSHC reminds the community that there are always humane alternatives to abandonment. “If you find yourself with a litter you can’t care for, please call us,” said Hickman. “We’re here to help, with no judgement and no shaming. We have a pet food pantry, we have affordable vaccine clinics, we have resources, so no pet parent should feel their only choice is abandonment.”
The shelter also emphasizes how critical foster families are in lifesaving cases like this one. “Our foster volunteers open their homes — and their hearts — to animals who need extra time and care before they’re ready for adoption,” said Hickman. “We truly couldn’t do this work without them.”
The Humane Society of Harford County relies on community support to care for the county’s most vulnerable animals. To explore the foster program or to contribute to the care of these puppies and others like them, visit www.harfordshelter.org.
About the Humane Society of Harford County
The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 3,500 animals that arrive each year. HSHC promotes the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. HSHC is not a county agency nor is it affiliated with any national or regional organization. Tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to its life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals in the community.