Sick, Frightened Puppies Dumped Outside North Jersey Shelter, Rescue Group Says

PATERSON, NJ —Rescue groups are providing care to three sickly, frightened puppies who were discovered outside in the cold on Thursday in Paterson.

The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (RBARI) and Jersey Pits Rescue are partnering to give the dogs, who were dumped outside Paterson Animal Control, with emergency medical care and some love. They appear to be about eight weeks old, and possibly a micro-breed of Boston terrier, the groups said.

The puppies "are very underweight, all male and desperately frightened," RBARI staff said in a post on Thursday. "We don’t have any information about other puppies or the mother, but our hearts break imagining their fate."

While the dogs are recovering, both rescue groups are asking the community for donations to their care.

To donate to RBARI, go to rbari.org/medical.

To donate to Jersey Pits, you may use PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jerseypitsrescue or Venmo: @JerseyPits-Rescue.

On Friday, RBARI executive director Megan Brinster told Patch the dogs are being treated for urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and parasites.

"They are under weight and we are waiting for additional medical diagnostics, but those seem to be the main issues they are dealing (with)," she said.

Jersey Pits Rescue also asked anyone who may have information on the puppies' owner to contact them.

RBARI also partnered with several local rescues to remove more than 120 cats from a Paterson home earlier this year.