Puppies saved from feces-smeared kennels in Colorado motel. Now dogs need loving homes

Puppies that were rescued from a feces-filled motel room are now up for adoption, Colorado authorities said.

On Feb. 1, Wheat Ridge officers responded to the La Quinta Inn to perform a welfare check on German shepherd puppies in one of the rooms, according to a Feb. 10 Facebook post by the police department.

Officers found 11 puppies in four kennels that were smeared with feces along with an “overwhelming” odor, officers said.

Some of the pups had feces on their paws while one had a cut that was bleeding, officers said.

The dogs were showing signs of parvovirus, but after testing, only one dog tested positive for the potentially fatally contagious disease, officers said.

Now the pups are “doing much better” under the care of the Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, officers said in a Feb. 18 Facebook post.

The dogs’ owner was charged with animal cruelty but didn’t show up for her court appearance, so a warrant for her arrest was issued, officers said.

As for the puppies, some are up for adoption, and rescuers urge potential families to remember these dogs need to be in a home that will “truly care for them,” officers said.

Wheat Ridge is about a 10-mile drive northwest of Denver.

This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Puppies saved from feces-smeared kennels in Colorado motel. Now dogs need loving homes."