March 23 is National Puppy Day. It is a day designed to celebrate the unconditional love that puppies bring to people’s lives.  It is also a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate people about puppy mills and their many horrors.

Some of those horrors have played out right here in the Coachella Valley.

Who could forget the dastardly actions of a 54-year-old Coachella woman was arrested April 2019 in connection with dumping seven newborn puppies into a trash bin? One later died. Deborah Sue Culwell of Coachella was arrested at her Coachella home and faced up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty.

In August 2019, Culwell pleaded guilty in court Wednesday afternoon to all counts related to the case. She was sentenced to 365 days in county jail, with 90 days to be served on work release.  be under a work release. Once she serves her time, she will be on probation for seven years and prohibited from possessing animals, according to Riverside County Superior Court records.

The puppies she tossed were put up for adoption.

This might be good day to adopt a pet and Animal Samaritans might be just the place for you. It is a no-kill shelter. Animal Adoption Rescue Program has saved more than 15,000 lives. Animal Samaritans work with the local and county shelters to place animals they do not have either the staff or resources to handle.

Not everyone is in a position to adopt a puppy. There could be a variety of reasons, including pet allergies, no-pets-allowed policies, lack of space, cost and a variety of other reasons. But you do not have to be left out.

At Animal Samaritans, you can save the life of a specific animal, or help provide for the needed care for a less fortunate family’s sick pet. It’s not just a gift of life, you can answer a family’s prayers, they say.

On National Puppy Day, you could also make a donation to Animal Samaritans by clicking here.  

 

 

Image Sources

  • Abby: Cindy Uken