Seven puppies were the survivors of a dog left behind, when her family moved away. A compassionate neighbor fed the mostly boxer dog, only to discover she was pregnant.  She put her in the dog lot and tried to help.

But, six weeks ago, the temperature dropped below freezing and the runt didn’t make it. Coyotes were circling.

She called Ashley, a woman she knew was connected to STAR Ranch volunteers.  The pups were in real jeopardy.

“One person.  That’s all it takes,” said Karen Owens, president of STAR Ranch, “to start the ball rolling.”

Ashley brought the cold pups to Owens, who created a warm, safe spot for them in the ‘cat room’ of the STAR barn, where they were safe for the night. FUR (feline urgent rescue) of WNC moved cats and donated their space for the pups.

“The first thing was to ...