Three young terrier puppies rescued from a tied-off trash bag in a Pleasant Hill park Monday evening are too young to adopt and won't be available for at least three weeks, a county animal control official said Thursday.
Rick Golphin, deputy director of Contra Costa Animal Services, said the puppies have been transferred to one of the shelter's rescue partners for temporary foster care.
"We found out they were healthy, but made a decision with the vet that they were too young for general adoption," Golphin said. "We're figuring no older than five weeks," he said. "They were under two pounds."
A man and woman came across the dogs while walking Monday in Pleasant Hill's Paso Nogal Park. The animals were taken home, cleaned up, fed and then brought in to the county shelter.
Golphin said there has been tremendous interest in the puppies due to recent media coverage of the case and said it won't be difficult to find homes for these particular pets.
"We got continuous calls (Wednesday) and we expect more today," he said. "It seemed like every other call."
"They should call about one of the dogs that are still here," he said, noting that the county's animal shelter has a number of pit bulls and Chihuahuas available for adoption.
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Despite having been left in a trash bag that had been tied off in an apparent attempt to suffocate the puppies, they do not appear to have suffered any serious health consequences from the experience. Golphin said they were healthy and playful and may have only been in the bag for a short period of time.
Anyone with information about the former owners of the puppies or how they came to be found in the trash bag in the park is asked to call (925) 335-8366. Anyone interested in volunteering with Contra Costa Animal Services can contact volunteer coordinator Cindy Smith at (925) 335-8300.
