Unexpected Rescue Mission for Puppies

Maraya Pierro found herself on what began as an ordinary day when she got a call from her 80-year-old mother. She mentioned a litter of puppies stuck somewhere, and, well, things quickly escalated. Pierro, who leads Rescue Kitties of Hawaii on Moloka’i, has a hard time saying no to helping animals, especially vulnerable ones.

While sorting through belongings at an abandoned home, Pierro’s mother heard the cries of hungry puppies trapped beneath a deck.

“My first thought was, like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what to do with puppies,’” Pierro recounted. But then the reality hit: these little ones were in need of food.

Grabbing formula, bottles, and blankets, she made her way to the east end of Moloka’i, an area known for its remoteness. “I had no idea what to expect, since the puppies were well hidden,” she said. “They were stuck way under the deck.”

The property had been abandoned after the owners left abruptly the previous fall, leaving behind their dogs—both the mother and father of this unfortunate litter. A man sent by the bank to manage the property had been feeding the dogs, but the mother hadn’t been seen for a few days.

As Pierro rushed to help, she called upon the community for support. Moloka’i is a tight-knit place—“Everybody knows everybody,” Pierro said. Soon enough, a group of eager volunteers, including her mother, were on the scene, working together to pry up wooden slats and navigate through cobwebs to rescue the pups. “I’ve never seen anyone act that quickly,” she laughed. “[We’re] not exactly young, either.”

Initially, they thought there were just a few puppies down there, but to their surprise, the number kept increasing.

“Each time another one popped up, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s five! Wait, there’s six!’” Pierro exclaimed.

In total, seven puppies were eventually retrieved from their dark hiding place. Pierro and the team searched nearby, listening carefully for any left behind, but they were optimistic they’d rescued everyone.

“They were starving,” Pierro noted. “We didn’t want them to overeat, so it felt like a chaotic, but organized assembly line.”

The volunteers took turns soothing and bottle-feeding the trembling puppies. Covered in fleas and dealing with dehydration, they were overjoyed to be cradled in comforting arms.

However, Moloka’i lacks the resources—like a permanent vet or a shelter big enough for these little ones in need of constant attention. So, Pierro reached out to her vet connections on O’ahu for vaccinations and medications in the coming weeks.

Through her network, she managed to find a caring dog owner with a spacious property on Moloka’i willing to foster the pups. They gradually grew stronger, began to play, and developed their own distinct personalities.

“These foster pups each come with their own vibrant quirks,” Pierro shared. “From little snuggly land sharks to big baby personalities, they’re already winning hearts.”

The kind foster ended up adopting one of the puppies, and another family on Moloka’i took in two. Meanwhile, the remaining four flew to a shelter partner near Boston, who was eager to help find them loving forever homes.

As for the mother and father dogs, the Maui Humane Society managed to track down the father, who has since been adopted by a loving family on Moloka’i. Pierro holds hope for the mother, wishing she knows how well she protected her babies for as long as she could.

There’s a saying on Moloka’i: “Don’t change Moloka’i, let Moloka’i change you.” For Pierro, this experience with the puppies—and the community support she received—has been transformative.

“Every single one survived,” she said. “And they’re thriving.”