Updated: Tuesday, 29 Dec 2009, 6:41 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 29 Dec 2009, 12:05 PM EST
PALM HARBOR - They are cute and cuddly, and in just a few weeks, they'll need a home.
More than 50 puppies were rescued from a shelter in Georgia and brought to the Bay Area last week.
Rick Chaboudy, the executive director of the Suncoast Animal League, took them in.
"The shelter up there had had, numerous days of rain and flooding. It sort of receded, and then the next couple of days, they had more rain. And not only were they flooded with rain, they were flooded with puppies," Chaboudy said.
He said it became a stressful situation and they asked for help.
Luckily, the Suncoast Animal League has a good group of volunteers. They stepped up, becoming foster families.
Kari Mercaldi and her girls have two of the puppies. They named them Oreo and Comet.
They are a mixed breed, about 4 weeks old.
The family wakes up with them at night to feed them. Both puppies must be bottle fed.
"It took us a couple of times of practice to bottle feed them, because they don't eat like a baby. It's not like you put it in their mouth and they suck it. It kind of goes all over and they chew on it," Kari explained.
Chaboudy is grateful for the volunteers. He said without them, they would have only been able to take in a few of the dogs.
"Given the room at the shelter, there's only a handful we could have helped. So, having this foster base is incredible. Instead of helping five or six, we could help all 50-something of these puppies," he said.
Mercaldi said the first night was rough.
"I think they were a little stressed out. Oreo, he cried non stop. All night, crying, crying, crying."
But now they are getting used to their family, playing and getting lots of hugs.
The puppies will be neutered or spayed in a few weeks. By 8 weeks, they will be ready for adoption.
Mercaldi said they love having the puppies around. "I think it does more for us than it does for them. It's pure giving. They're cute and they love. They have so much love."