OREM — Four Labrador puppies that were abused and left for dead in a remote Utah County field last month appeared nearly as content as their new owners after being adopted Saturday.
The dogs were discovered March 12 near Lincoln Beach, on the south shore of Utah Lake. The bodies of three other Labrador puppies also were found, and investigators from the Utah County Sheriff's Office said the puppies had broken bones, knife wounds and gunshot wounds.
But at a festive gathering in a crowded corner of an Orem PetsMart store Saturday morning, the dogs and their adoptive families said they have put all that behind them. The four Labradors were adopted by families that had taken them in during the past month on a foster-care basis.
Invariably, the pastfew weeks were a therapeutic time for both dogs and people.
South Salt Lake resident Brenda Atkinson, who adopted a brown Labrador named Chloe, said news reports of the cruelty last month prompted her family to consider replacing a 14-year family pet that died last year.
"It was the first time my husband showed any interest in another pet," Atkinson said. "(Chloe) took to cuddling and sitting in our laps."
Adoptive families filled out paperwork and paid fees Saturday morning making official their commitment to the Labradors. The four puppies and their families staged something like a family reunion for an hour as the details of the adoptions were completed.
"I can't believe how shiny his coat is now," said Rick Nelson, referring to his dog, Rocky.
Nelson said Rocky had doubled his weight since he was found. Rocky's new Taylorsville home also includes two other dogs and a cat, and the black Lab seems to have forgotten any bad experiences of the first few weeks of his life.
"He's only had one night where he had nightmares," said Kris Nelson. "We held him for a while and then he was fine."
Thus far, investigators have been unsuccessful in their efforts to determine who left the dogs near Utah Lake and why they killed several of the puppies. A reward of $2,500 was offered for information leading to the assailant's identification.
The March incident was the second time in the past several
months that conspicuously slain dogs had been found in south Utah County. Earlier this year three sheep dogs were discovered shot and hanging from a tree on West Mountain.
"I think it's just cruelty," said Rick Nelson. "The courts don't have a strong enough penalty for people who did this."
A group called Citizens Animal Management and Protection Society coordinated the placement of the four Labs. Ruthanne Nielsen, a spokeswoman for the group, said the case of the abused dogs brought a lot of attention to the plight of unwanted animals and the need for assistance.
But, she said, Utahns shouldn't assume the work of saving distressed animals was finished Saturday when the four Labrador puppies were given permanent homes.
"These have been rescued and saved, so now we have to go and rescue others," she said.