Puppy Lovers Phone In to Aid Abandoned Litter

More than 125 callers have offered to adopt one of the 11 puppies found abandoned in a Laguna Niguel apartment complex, but nobody has stepped forward with leads on who dumped the newborn litter next to a trash bin, officials at the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center said Thursday.

“It’s been real heartwarming,” said shelter volunteer Sharon Cody, who is bottle feeding three of the puppies at home around the clock. “Our spirits are lifted that people care so much about these little guys.”

Meanwhile, officials at the shelter, which serves Laguna Niguel, said they do not have the resources to search for the puppies’ owner.

“I don’t have the staff to go door to door,” said John Gonzales, the shelter’s animal services supervisor. “Our major concern is the puppies. We’re not out trying to find this person or anything,” especially with no witnesses or clues.

A misdemeanor count of abandoning an animal--or a potential 11 counts in this case--would carry a maximum fine of $1,000 and six months in jail per count. Officials at local animal shelters say it is unusual for someone to dump such a large litter.

Last week, a passerby discovered the six male and five female puppies in a milk crate at the Windridge Apartments. The puppies, all healthy, are golden or black and white, and believed to be a Labrador mix.

They were found with their eyes still closed. But now, at about 2 weeks old, their eyes are open, and they are starting to wobble to their feet.

The onslaught of calls was prompted by a story on the abandoned puppies that appeared in The Times on Wednesday, Gonzales said. People who want to adopt a puppy can fill out an application.

Applications will be reviewed by a shelter review committee in a month, when the puppies are old enough to be adopted; the adoption fee is $60. The form includes questions on why the applicant wants a dog and whether the person has had a pet before.

“We are looking for families that are going to take good care of these guys, since they had a real rough start,” said Cody, who is on the review committee. “They deserve a super family.”

Shelter officials stress that there are plenty of other animals available for adoption--including 46 dogs, 50 cats, a pig and an iguana--and that the puppies’ plight underscores the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

Cody said she isn’t sure whether the abandoned puppies miss their mother. She gets up a couple times a night to feed them, a 45-minute process. One of the puppies likes to chew on her toes.

“I was like, ‘Oh, gosh, they think I’m their mom,’ ” said Cody.