A video of a duct-taped shut tub of puppies who were left at an Oklahoma animal hospital has gone viral.
The employees at Patterson Animal Hospital said they posted the video of the puppies in the tub to show everyone how often it happens.
“I knew as soon as I pulled up that something had been dumped,” said Jennifer Patterson, Patterson Animal Hospital Registered Veterinary Technician.
The video has reached nearly 20 million views.
“I just thought, I’m going to video this because I want people to see what we have to deal with on a weekly basis,” Patterson said.
She said it happens way too often.
“I got angry, first because it’s just not fair to us because I knew we had a full kennel, all of our pins were full," Patterson said. "Where are we going to put these guys? Because we have to make a decision now of who has to go?”
Veterinarians said the hospital and Paws and Hooves rescue foundation are already at their max, and with a lack of funds, it's hard to care for abandoned animals.
“We don’t know what they’ve been exposed to, we don’t know what other illnesses they may be carrying," said Dr. Yolanda Burton Patterson, a veterinarian with the hospital. Were they sick before they arrived?
They say some animals are in such bad shape that they have to make a tough choice.
“We try to save euthanasia as a last resort but unfortunately there are animals with conditions that are financially untreatable by the rescue,” Burton Patterson said.
All 10 puppies have been adopted since the video was posted. Jennifer Patterson said she hopes to make more people aware of how often people abandon their pets.
“If people would contact us we’d give them resources and we’d try to help them out before just dumping them on our doorstep and making us decide what to do,” Jennifer Paterson said.
The Paws and Hooves foundation is building a new center next to the animal hospital. They hope to open by the end of next year.
The hospital and rescue center also set up a GoFundMe account, which can be seen here.
