During the holidays, we all want to receive a gift that makes us happy. We’ve abandoned the practice of setting goals at the start of the year, as they often don’t last through the first few weeks of January. The most tired and unfulfilled resolutions, bordering on absurd, are “This year I’ll go to the gym” or “I’ll stop drinking.”

For some people, this surge of enthusiastic but fleeting motivation extends to their desire to get a pet, regardless of whether they can actually care for the animal.

Having a pet at home is not a game, but for some, it seems like it is. They realize that keeping a pet involves a lot of work once they have them, so they simply leave them to their fate.

This was the reality faced by the Stray Rescue of St. Louis animal shelter, based in St. Louis, Missouri. A truck driver contacted the volunteers after seeing a box containing three puppies on the side of the road.

According to the driver, even though he observed them from a distance, the puppies were in a terrible state, very weak and scared, as he had to continue his route. The animal rescuers quickly arrived at the scene.

The rescuers took some time to verify the information provided by the bus driver when they arrived. Unfortunately, they discovered that these were three newborn furry babies who had been abandoned in deplorable conditions by someone who had grown tired of them.

“These babies are really unhappy. They are terrified and injured from being abandoned this morning. We will do everything we can to ensure they have a long and beautiful life,” said a representative of Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

Given the severity of the animals’ condition when they were found, the rescue staff transported them to the shelter as quickly as possible. Once they were safe, they were bottle-fed.

They received medical attention to treat their wounds, which were still open and, in some cases, infected. After regaining some weight and strength, experts concluded that the puppies suffered from various ailments. Fortunately, they have regained their happiness and health.

“They were in terrible condition. They had open wounds, some of which were infected, which we discovered. This could mean they were experiencing various types of health problems,” continued the veterinarians.

Everyone at the shelter agreed that, based on the holiday dates and the animals’ physical attributes, the discovery was the result of someone receiving the cute animals as a gift but clearly not liking them very much. Now they are waiting for a true home where they will be loved as they deserve.

Share this story with your family and friends. Perhaps we should think twice before creating living beings for each other. Pets are not toy animals!