Puppies’ medical bills at $12,000 and rising
Donations asked for dogs seized in cruelty case
The medical bill for the 27 puppies found in the back of a box truck in Webster last week has grown to $12,000 and is expected to rise as two puppies fight for life at a Tufts University facility in Grafton, a spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League of Boston said yesterday.
Two of the three puppies transferred to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine are being treated for pneumonia in a hyperbaric chamber, said Tom Keppeler, a spokesman for Tufts Veterinary Hospital. The dogs are receiving round-the-clock treatment, he said.
Ten of the 27 puppies seized July 8 had to be transferred to Tufts Veterinary hospitals in Grafton and Walpole, and one of those puppies has died, said Jennifer Wooliscroft, a spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League.
The Rescue League is paying for the care and treatment of the puppies.
Now that there is a better assessment of the dogs’ medical needs, funding has become a pressing issue, said Wooliscroft.
“We can find ways to fund it, because these things have to be done, but we really need help to offset the costs,’’ she said. “We have to rely on outside donations.’’
The state seized the puppies after they were found in the back of a truck operated by a Missouri man who allegedly intended to sell them to local pet stores.
John Clayton, 44, of Bolivar, Mo., was arraigned on July 9 in Dudley District Court on one count of animal cruelty and was held on $1,000 cash bail. A pretrial hearing is scheduled Aug. 20.
Clayton was working for Puppy Ship LLC of Missouri, which transports animals to various pet stores and buyers across the country.
Wooliscroft said the puppies will not be eligible for adoption until the legal process is further along, although many people have shown interest. “We were inundated with calls,’’ she said.
