Saving Saluda Strays

06/18/2026

Tonight is a hard night for our rescue family.

One of our puppies became critically ill and, despite everyone’s efforts, we made the heartbreaking decision to let her go peacefully. Our foster family loved this puppy deeply, and they are grieving. We all are grieving.

Right now, we are waiting for answers. There are still many unknowns, and we do not want to speculate or spread information before we have facts. What we do know is that an innocent puppy is gone far too soon.

These puppies were abandoned and left to fend for themselves. Every day, rescues across the South are left picking up the pieces of irresponsible human decisions. Tonight, that reality feels especially heavy.

We are asking for your prayers… for the puppies, for the foster families who have opened their homes and hearts, for our volunteers, and for everyone who may be affected by whatever answers we receive in the coming days.

Please pray that this is something isolated. Pray that it is something congenital, environmental, or otherwise non-contagious. Pray for wisdom for the veterinarians, laboratories, and everyone involved. Most of all, pray for peace while we wait.

We will share updates when we have confirmed information to share. Until then, we appreciate your prayers, your support, and your kindness.

06/15/2026

🥤🐾 Meet the Soda Pop Kittens! 🐾🥤

These adorable rescued kittens are now safe with Saving Saluda Strays and receiving lots of love and care while they grow.

The Soda Pop crew includes: 🥤 Dr. Pepper 🥤 Sprite 🥤 Fanta 🥤 Pepsi 🥤 Crush 🥤 Ginger Ale

They’re playful, curious, and full of kitten energy! ❤️

Donations help provide food, litter, veterinary care, and supplies while they wait for their forever homes. Every little thing helps!

🐱💕

We’d also like to give a shoutout to Chloe H. for creating this graphic for our Soda Pop Kittens. We love seeing young people use their talents to support animal rescue, and we think she did an awesome job! 🐾❤️

06/10/2026

We were supposed to be closed to intake.

Truthfully… we’re overwhelmed.

There are puppies everywhere. Pitties everywhere. Kennels full. Laundry, cleaning, feeding, medications, repeat. We are running low on supplies and trying our best to keep up with the animals already in our care.

And then this sweet girl showed up.

Skin and bones. Every rib visible. Weak. Exhausted. Neglected. The kind of dog that makes your heart sink the moment you see her.

Sometimes rescue isn’t convenient.

Sometimes it doesn’t fit the budget, the schedule, or the plan.

Sometimes you look at a dog like this and realize there was never really a choice.

A HUGE thank you to the Good Samaritan who found her, refused to look the other way, and reached out for help. Because of that call, she’s safe. She has a soft place to rest, and she’s receiving the medical care, compassion, and love she so desperately needs.

This is why we do what we do.

Not because we have room.
Not because we have extra money.
Not because it’s easy.

But because they need someone.

If you would like to help this sweet girl and the many others currently in our care, we could desperately use donations of dog food, cat food, and other supplies. Financial donations also help us provide the medical care these animals need to survive and heal.

Every bag of food. Every dollar. Every share. It all matters.

Thank you for continuing to stand beside Saving Saluda Strays and helping us say “yes” when these animals have nowhere else to go. 💜🐾

05/14/2026

Rabies alert in Saluda County. Third case this year. Please vaccinate your pets.

9 people exposed to rabid calf in Saluda County. https://www.wrdw.com/2026/05/14/9-people-exposed-rabid-calf-saluda-county/

05/14/2026

We’ve had SO many people tagging us and reaching out about these puppies, so we wanted to provide an update and clear up some misinformation that was circulating online.

The puppies, their mama, and dad are now SAFE with Saving Saluda Strays. 💜

They have already received their initial vetting through us. The puppies will be transferred to one of our trusted local rescue partners ASAP for continued care and placement, while the adult dogs will remain with Saving Saluda Strays for now. Unfortunately, dad dog did test positive for heartworms, which will require additional treatment and expense moving forward.

We also want to clarify that the original Facebook post was, unfortunately, largely inflammatory and inaccurate. We had actually been in communication with the caretakers of these dogs for several weeks and had already arranged to take the family in once the puppies were old enough to be safely weaned. They were scheduled to come into our care this Saturday.

After the post began spreading rapidly and many people started attempting to go get the dogs themselves, we made the decision to move immediately to ensure the safety of the animals and avoid additional chaos and stress for everyone involved.

Huge thank you to two of our incredible volunteers, Kenny & Valerie Rowe, who stepped up and safely transported them for us today. 👏

There are FOUR puppies total. One puppy does have a severe, infected wound that appears suspicious for a bite injury and will need ongoing treatment and close monitoring. At this time, however, we have no knowledge of any puppies being ran over as was originally claimed online.

We know people are passionate and want to help, and we are grateful for a community that cares so deeply about animals. But situations like this are also a reminder of how quickly misinformation can spread on social media and create panic before all facts are known.

For now, this sweet little family is safe, receiving care, and headed toward a much brighter future. 💜

05/13/2026

50+ animals in our care as of today and we are in desperate need of food! Send help 🤪🫣

05/10/2026

WE DID IT. 😭🐾

Because of every ticket purchased, every donation made, every sponsor, volunteer, and every person who showed up to support this mission… the Saving Saluda Strays Pet Gala raised $13,953.25 for rescue animals.

What an unbelievably beautiful night. I truly hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Seeing a room full of people come together for animals that so often get overlooked was something I’ll never forget.

Most importantly, I want to thank Jesus. None of this would exist without Him. Every open door, every provision, every life saved… He has carried this rescue from the very beginning and I will forever give Him the glory for it.

The roses on the tables last night were incredibly special to me. 🌹 They came from my very own garden, and while was cutting them yesterday morning, I kept thinking about how fitting it was that this gala fell on Mother’s Day weekend. You see… those roses were given to me when my beautiful mother-in-love passed away. I didn’t tell that story last night because I knew I would cry through it. But those roses have become such a constant reminder of her love, her life, and the beauty she left behind. I was really proud to be able to share a piece of her with everyone there last night.

I looked around the room last night and saw so many women who nurture and pour into others constantly… their families, their communities, their animals, their friends. It made my heart really full.

Thank you all for supporting Saving Saluda Strays. Thank you for believing in this mission. Thank you for loving these animals with us.

And happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grandmothers, animal moms, and nurturing hearts out there today. ❤️

More posts to come about the success from last night! Until then - enjoy some photos of the evening!

05/09/2026

It’s almost time!!! 💜💜💜