Earlier this month, a group of seven puppy siblings were found hunkered down inside a cardboard box, trying to stay warm. The puppies had been abandoned in a snow-covered landfill in a remote part of Saskatchewan, Canada. Their chances of being spotted were slim. Yet they huddled together, keeping their eyes on the horizon, perhaps hoping for help to arrive.

Miraculously, a community member in the area came upon the puppies’ furry little faces peeking out from the box. Horrified, the passerby posted about the puppies on a community Facebook page, pleading for help. Eventually, local police arrived on the scene and moved the puppies to safety.

It wasn’t long before someone contacted Pretty in Pink Animal Rescue. Shelter co-founders Lindy Adams and Kristen Schick were devastated, but not necessarily surprised, to learn of the puppies’ plight.

“It’s always upsetting,” Adams and Schick told The Dodo. “But it doesn’t surprise us anymore since we see it so often.”

Eventually, the puppies were relocated to Prince Albert, where the rescue is based. Safe with skilled rescuers, the puppies were examined and then placed in loving foster homes.

Each day, the puppies gain a little more strength and nourishment. Over the past few weeks, rescuers tended to each puppy’s individual needs, making sure they received the medical intervention necessary to allow them to live the healthiest life possible. Although some puppies need a little more time to heal than others, all are on the road to recovery.

“Overall, they’re doing well,” Adams and Schick said.

Adams and Schick are hopeful that this story will provide some much-needed publicity for Saskatchewan’s domestic animal overpopulation crisis. They encourage community members to reach out to local shelters to see how they can help and to feel comfortable asking experts if they find an animal in need. Every small gesture saves lives.

“Fostering an animal for your local rescue helps a lot,” they said. “Donations of supplies … are always sorely needed.”

If everyone does their part, pups like these will never have to worry about fend for themselves.