A routine maintenance check turned into a heartbreaking rescue when a worker investigating a burst pipe in a Wichita, Kansas apartment complex stumbled upon a chilling scene. Inside a unit, the foul smell led him to a small plastic dog crate where he found two 7-month-old puppies, silent, scared, and barely able to breathe.
At first, he couldn’t understand why the puppies weren’t making any noise—until he looked closer.
“There was feces and urine just spilling out the front of the kennel,” said Sarah Coffman, Executive Director of the Wichita Animal Action League. “Then he noticed the puppies couldn’t open their mouths.”
Shining a flashlight into the crate, the worker saw what no animal lover wants to see: the dogs had tight objects wrapped around their muzzles, their noses swollen and red from the pressure.
Hair Ties Were Used to Muzzle the Puppies
The man immediately called a friend who fosters dogs for the Wichita Animal Action League. That call triggered an emergency response.
“I said, ‘Tell him to wait right there. I’m on my way and bringing the cavalry,’” Coffman recalled.
With animal control officers, Coffman rushed to the scene and rescued the puppies, taking them directly to a veterinarian.
At first, rescuers feared wire had been used to silence the dogs. But once they were examined, it was discovered that tiny hair ties—the kind used for ponytails—were cruelly wrapped twice around each puppy’s muzzle. The ties had likely been there for 12 to 24 hours, cutting off circulation and causing intense pain.
“The way they screamed when the bands finally came off… it was truly heartbreaking,” Coffman said. “But we got there just in time.”
A New Life for Westley and Debbie
Now named Westley and Debbie, the pit bull mix siblings are recovering in a foster home. After gentle baths and medical treatment, both dogs are expected to make a full recovery. Their noses are still tender, but they are playful, affectionate, and loving every second of their new life.
“They’re a testament to how resilient dogs are,” Coffman said. “They’re already cuddling and playing like nothing ever happened.”
Westley is the adventurous one, while Debbie, though smaller, is the boss. She’s not afraid to put her brother in place when he gets too rowdy.
Applications Flood In For Their Adoption
Though they are not quite ready for adoption, applications for Westley and Debbie’s forever home are already pouring in.
Their story, however, serves as a painful reminder of how easily cruelty can go unseen—and how fate, or a burst pipe, can sometimes intervene just in time.
“I keep thinking—if that pipe hadn’t burst, would they have been found in time?” Coffman said. “You’d never imagine being thankful for a flood, but it literally saved their lives.”
Related: Woman Finds Wet Dog Near River — Then Discovers Anchor Tied Around His Neck
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