In the pet containment area inside Brookhaven Animal Hospital,three mother dogs and their 17 collective puppies huddle inseparate pens – each animal something of a story of hope andsurvival.

Brookhaven veterinarian Dr. Bob Watson heard about the seizure lastweek of more than 175 dogs and several cats from Raven’s Hope, anon-profit organization that claims to offer animals for adoptionin Kemper County. The dogs were malnourished, mangy, many had wormsof various descriptions, and all needed care.

So Watson decided to see what he could do.

“I was worried about the animals, so I called to see what I coulddo to help,” he said, explaining that the Mississippi Animal RescueLeague took some of the dogs and about 70 were shipped to Maryland.”They didn’t feel like these could travel because the puppies wereso young.”

Watson went and picked some of them up on Thursday. The threemother dogs, none of whom even have names yet, and their puppies,who are all about a week old, now live in Brookhaven, at Watson’sanimal clinic.

The hound mix, pit bull mix, and lab mix will all undergo weeks oftreatment before Watson hopes that they will find new homes in thearea.

“We’re going to try to get them back up to good health,” he said.”Then we’re going to do the best we can to get them homes or putthem in foster care. We will definitely spay and neuter them alland get them their vaccinations.”

Watson said the process could take up to four to six weeks.

Two of the mother dogs have to be treated for heartworms, and theother for severe mange. All the dogs have been wormed, and Watsonsaid so far they’ve all been loving, friendly dogs.

“They’re very sweet, they’ve just been neglected,” he said.”They’ve interacted well. They’ve also eaten very well, becausethey were very hungry when they got here.”

Meanwhile, he said, the puppies are doing well.

“The good thing is that the mothers are all taking good care oftheir puppies,” he said. “The mothers are sick and neglected, butthe puppies are fat and sassy.”

At this point, it’s almost impossible to tell what the main lineageof the puppies is, Watson said. They could have multiple fathers,but he said many of them look like they could have lab blood inthem.

Watson said when the time comes to find the dogs good homes, hewill be picky, not allowing them to leave before they’re ready orgo to homes that can’t care for them. But if there is someone whois able to foster a mother dog and her puppies once they’restronger, that’s a possibility, he said.

“If any brave soul wants to foster a mom and her puppies, we’regoing to be selective, because even if nobody fosters them, we’regoing to take care of them here,” he said.

And all he needs from the public, Watson said, is for people withdog-friendly surroundings like yards or land to be deciding ifthey’ve got room for a new dog in their home.

“I just want people to maybe be thinking and praying in about sixto eight weeks if they could provide a home for these dogs,” hesaid. “They came from a bad situation, and I’d like to see themhave a chance. Hopefully they’ll all make it and do well.”