West Plains, MO – Ozarks Pet Rescue (OPR), a non-profit serving Missouri and Arkansas, rescued 12 puppies trapped inside a hollowed-out tree trunk in West Plains yesterday.
The organization received a call about a frightened mother dog and her litter of puppies taking shelter inside a tree. Upon arriving at the scene, the OPR team—alongside the West Plains Police Department—worked together using a catch pole to safely remove the puppies from their cramped hiding spot.
“At first, we were only able to retrieve two puppies using the catch pole, while the remaining ten hid in holes under the tree,” said Tanya Meeks, head of the rescue, in a statement. “Luckily, one of our board member’s sons volunteered to crawl into the small space and rescue the rest!”
While the team successfully rescued the puppies, the mother dog evaded capture. OPR plans to return to the site today in hopes of bringing her to safety.
Now, the organization is calling on the community for support. In a recent Facebook post, OPR asked for adopters and fosters for the puppies, as well as donations, to help cover mounting veterinary bills. With this latest rescue, their total intake since Sunday has risen to an astounding 45 animals.
Among their recent rescues are nine Maine Coon kittens suffering from abscesses caused by infected animal bites, a mother dog and her ten puppies pulled from an overcrowded animal control facility, a six-month-old boxer named Charlotte surrendered by a breeder, an owner-surrendered pet, and another found puppy in need of a home.
Despite the overwhelming numbers, OPR remains committed to saving as many animals as possible. Anyone interested in fostering, adopting, or donating can find more information on their Facebook page.
