Crash Dogs Finding Homes, Happiness

March 4, 2008

SECAUCUS, N.J. – Nearly six dozen puppies made headlines last month when a shelter van transporting them to a no-kill facility crashed on the icy roads of Wisconsin.

Pet Pulse previously reported on the 66 puppies, which were slated for euthanasia when Minnesota based Safe Hands Rescue stepped in to give the dogs another chance to find forever homes.

Now, some of them have been adopted after surviving the accident, including the pup made famous after becoming frozen to the wheel well.

It took 30 minutes for rescue crews to find Lilly Miss Sunshine. Apparently a bottle of water spilled on the tan and white puppy during the crash and the tiny dog scampered out of the vehicle before anyone could take notice of her.

When she was found, Lilly was shivering, dehydrated and literally frozen to the van.

After being pried from her icy prison, Lilly was rushed to warmth along with the dozens of other dogs she had been riding with. Thanks to the help of dedicated animal lovers and rescue crews, today Lilly and her cohorts are alive and well – looking for heels to nip.

Some of the other pups also have new families. Of the 10 dogs that Safe Hands kept, two have found permanent homes. The remaining eight are in foster homes.

The other 54 dogs were distributed among Twin Cities shelters and are said to be doing well.

As for Lilly, she’s the focus of one Edgerton couple’s attention. Veterinarian Terry Johnson, who was called to examine the animals following the crash, decided to adopt her.

“(Lilly) was the worst of the group,” said Karen Johnson, Terry’s wife. “One of the ladies had her tucked into her sweater, and all she could do was moan.”

The night of the crash, the dogs were brought to Hillside Springs Hunt Club in Edgerton, Wis. for examination. Lilly, still a bit shocked by the ordeal, stayed with the Johnsons in their home.

The couple fell in love with their house guest and has added her to their permanent family. Now Lilly has not only loving humans, but also a border collie named Chloe, to play with.

Like her former shelter-mates, Lilly is thriving and in the last two weeks has put on more than half her body weight.

“Our lives turned upside-down,” said Karen Johnson of the day of the accident. “But now I don’t know how I’d live without (Lilly).”

It was a crash along I-90 in southwestern Wisconsin that began this mini-saga. After slipping on a patch of ice, the van careened into a guardrail.

The driver and another Safe Hands Rescue worker had intended to bring the dogs from Wisconsin, where they had been at a kill shelter, to the nearby Twin Cities where they’d have a better chance of finding permanent homes.

But fate stepped in, nearly ending their lives before they had a chance to live – most of the dogs were puppies.

No one, including the animals, was severely injured, but the animals required medical attention – a task not easily performed on the side of a snowy highway.

Calls were made and volunteers from the area poured out to help, bringing food, blankets, toys and support to Hillside Springs Hunt Club in Edgerton, Wis., where the dogs were taken following the crash.

To find out more about the dogs and how you can help, visit the Safe Hands Rescue Web site at safehandsrescue.org.

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