Van carrying 40 puppies on board overturns after it hits median in Texas, 2 animals killed in mishap
LONGVIEW, TEXAS: A transport vehicle carrying 40 puppies overturned in the early hours of Tuesday, December 20, killing 2 of the animals. It was on its way to California when the mishap took place on an east Texas highway. According to Helen Woodward Animal Center where the animals were headed, said in a statement that the driver and 38 of the puppies survived the accident.
"In my 23 years at the Center, I have never experienced this type of a tragedy," Renee Resko, the vice president of the animal center, said in a statement as reported by People. She added, "We've all been so fortunate to just expect that each transport will arrive safely. There is so much care put into these journeys by the participating shelters and the transportation companies who do all of this for the love of the animals. This morning's accident came as a shock to all of us." The animal center, in Rancho, Santa Fe, said that the accident happened somewhere between 12.30 am and 1 am in Longview.
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KETK, an East Texas NBC affiliate reported that the incident took place after the van hit the median and then skidded into its side, along Interstate 20. The driver then immediately called 911 and the Longview Fire Department Station 3 and the police department decided to shut down the highway briefly. The officials flipped the vehicle upright and towed it to their station and updated the shelter. "Assessments were done by the firemen on each puppy and an emergency vet was contacted to do additional health checks. Unfortunately, two of the puppies did not survive the accident," a news release said.
The puppies who survived are being transported to California on Wednesday, December 21, and will be given a medical assessment from the center’s veterinary team. "We know that one of the puppies has a broken leg and one has some mild head trauma so we will be keeping those puppies with us until they are fully recovered," said Kendall Schulz, the center's adoption services director, reports People. "We are incredibly moved by the severity of the accident and the miracle of how many of them not only survived but were safe from injury. We put all of our hearts into looking after orphan pets but I sincerely feel that something greater was looking out for them," she added.