TEMPLE, Texas — A Temple family is feeling grateful to have been in the right place at the right time for two puppies that were left abandoned on the side of the road near Northeast Dodgen Loop.
There's no telling how long the puppies were outside for, but now they are with a loving family, all thanks to a 22-year-old Temple woman named Madisyn Strawser and her family.
Strawser said she was on the way home from work with her family when they noticed something white moving on the side of the road.
Strawser thought it looked like a dog, so the family immediately pulled over, where they found two puppies in the grass.
"They were terrified of us," Strawser said. "They obviously were dumped out here. They were extremely skinny, like skin to the bone. They stunk so bad."
Video on Strawser's phone captured the moment her family rescued the puppies. The family believes they were intentionally dumped on the road.
Strawser posted on Facebook hoping someone could take both dogs.
"I didn't want to separate them because they were stuck like glue together," Strawser said.
Thankfully, the puppies found their forever home.
"I had somebody reach out to me that was able to take both of them," Strawser said. "I was just on the way home getting ready to wind down for the night and the next thing you know I'm saving puppies off the highway."
The story is shining a light on the larger issue of animal abandonment.
6 News Reporter Sydney Dishon asked City of Temple Public Information Officer Megan Price if it's possible to receive a fine for abandoning puppies.
"Yes, it is considered illegal in Texas to abandon or neglect an animal," Price told 6 News.
Price added that offenders can face up to $4,000 in fines and possible jail time depending on the offense.
If you decide a pet isn't for you, there are shelter and rescue options.
"You don't have to drop them," Strawser said. "It's just terrible. That shouldn't even be an option or a thought."
For now, Strawser and her family are thankful they could help.
"They would not have made it that night if we weren't there," Strawser said. "I just feel like God put us there. It's like right place, right time."
If you are concerned about an animal's well-being, call your local animal services department. They will investigate to make sure animals are receiving proper attention.
More from 6 News: