Three-week-old lab/shepherd puppies left in freezing Walmart parking lot find safety and new homes through multistate rescue effort.
EATONTOWN, NJ – Monmouth County SPCA staff are celebrating the successful adoption of a litter of lab/shepherd mix puppies that survived being abandoned during freezing temperatures in South Carolina. The dogs arrived in New Jersey through a partnership with Journey Home Rescue Alliance, a nonprofit founded by New Jersey native Danielle Zuck.
Key Points
- Puppies were found abandoned in sub-zero temperatures in a South Carolina Walmart parking lot
- Journey Home Rescue Alliance and Monmouth County SPCA teamed up to save and rehome them
- All puppies have since been adopted into loving homes in New Jersey
From tragedy to triumph
According to rescuers, the three-week-old puppies were taken from their nursing mother and left in random truck beds at a Walmart lot in Cherokee County, South Carolina. One puppy, nicknamed Arctic, survived nearly 19 hours without food or warmth before being recovered. Local animal control officers found the others one by one after being alerted by concerned citizens.
The former owner, who reportedly told officers “puppies die anyways,” was later apprehended.
Rescue partnership saves lives
Zuck, who founded Journey Home Rescue Alliance in 2024 after relocating to South Carolina, said her organization works to place at-risk dogs in foster care, provide medical treatment, and transport them to northern shelters with higher adoption rates.
“This transport is especially meaningful to me,” Zuck said. “I volunteered at the Monmouth County SPCA before moving south, and to now send rescued dogs back to that same community—it’s like coming full circle. Together, we’ve saved more than 150 dogs who might never have had a chance.”
Since its founding, Journey Home Rescue Alliance has saved over 2,400 dogs, including 224 so far in 2026.
Adopted and thriving in New Jersey
All of the rescued puppies have now been adopted through the Monmouth County SPCA’s adoption center in Eatontown. The shelter remains open Thursday and Friday from 12–7 p.m. and weekends from 12–5 p.m. for those looking to adopt other animals in need.
More information on adoptions is available at bit.ly/31v1AOh.
Tags: Monmouth County SPCA, animal rescue, Journey Home Rescue Alliance