7/9/07:  My dad was coming home from Alabama last night, and while driving on Interstate 70 through Missouri, he saw a crate fly through the air and hit the truck in front of him.  He stopped immediately, because the crate was full of Labrador Retriever puppies.  One puppy, who was on the side of the crate that struck the truck, died instantly.  The other pups were scattered all over the Interstate. Two semi-trucks blocked four lanes of traffic, and the truck drivers as well as others helped my dad gather up the remaining five puppies.  The pups were terrified, and were so young that they could hardly walk yet.  One of the pups (now known as Dodger 07-440) was limping and crying, and pulled himself under the exhaust pipe of a car, burning some of the hair on his back.

Finally everyone was able to gather all the puppies and put them in the car.  Before driving away, they pulled the tag off the steel crate the puppies were in, hoping to track down the driver.  When they got into town they called the emergency shelter line, and the shelter decided to admit the pups that night since one of the pups (little Dodger) needed medical attention.  Upon seeing the pups, they told my dad  that they were probably puppy mill puppies.

The initial plan was that the puppies would be put up for adoption at this shelter, although they warned my dad that if the pups didn't find homes, they would be put to sleep.  Like most shelters, they have especially bad luck at placing black dogs, even while they're still puppies.  They are currently at full capacity and their adoption rate is very low.  When I told RAGOM this story and that these babies were at risk of being euthanized, they decided to make them honorary Goldens, and asked if I could make the necessary arrangements to get them out of the shelter ASAP.  Saturday the 14th was their lucky day, as they began their journey to RAGOM foster homes in Iowa and Minnesota.

Oliver and littermate Ella (07-441), playing with a resident Golden.