Ten Little Lives Changed Forever
A few months ago, Dellymar Bernal was driving down a quiet rural road in Lajas, Puerto Rico, heading to a doctor’s appointment. It seemed like any other ordinary day — until a single glance out her car window changed everything.
At an intersection, Bernal’s eyes fell on a heartbreaking sight: a litter of tiny puppies huddled together by the roadside. There were 10 of them in total — small, hungry, and utterly abandoned.
For most people, this discovery would have been overwhelming. But Bernal wasn’t just anyone. As the executive director of Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asís (SASFAPR), she had dedicated her life to saving stray and neglected animals. Still, nothing could have prepared her for the challenge of suddenly finding herself face-to-face with 10 desperate little souls.
“I couldn’t leave them there,” Bernal told The Dodo.
Even though the shelter was already overcrowded and stretched beyond capacity, Bernal knew there was only one choice: she had to act.
Luna’s Plea For Help
As Bernal stepped out of her car, one brave puppy caught her attention. A tan little girl, later named Luna, barked loudly, wagging her tail as if begging Bernal to notice her. Around her, the rest of the litter stumbled clumsily, sniffing around the buckets of food someone had left behind.
“The dog who was barking and wagging her tail … she stole my heart with her pure face,” Bernal recalled. “When I saw them, I was in shock. I opened the door and they all came to greet me. They were wagging their tails, happy to see me.”
That joy, Bernal knew, carried a heartbreaking truth. These puppies weren’t feral. They had clearly belonged to someone once. And now, in an isolated area far from town, they had been left behind.
Neighbors later confirmed the worst — the pups had been abandoned days earlier.
The Rescue Mission
Bernal wasted no time. One by one, she gently lifted the puppies and carried them to her car. Soon, her vehicle was filled with squirming, tail-wagging babies who had no idea their lives were about to change forever.
She drove them straight to SASFAPR, where nine of the pups were safely settled in. But one little girl, Lirio, needed special attention. Her paw looked injured, so Bernal rushed her to the vet. The examination confirmed multiple fractures in one of her back paws.
Thanks to the shelter’s dedicated veterinary team, Lirio began treatment right away. While she healed, her siblings — Luna, Lisa, Luisa, Lilypads, Lance, and Liliard — started to thrive under the care of SASFAPR.
New Beginnings
It didn’t take long for adoption applications to arrive. Slowly but surely, the puppies began to leave for new lives. Luna, the vocal little girl who first barked for help, found a loving home in Boston. Her sister Lisa made her way to New York, while others were welcomed into families across Puerto Rico.
As of now, only two puppies remain at SASFAPR. Lirio is still being monitored for her paw injury, while her brother Lorenzo awaits eye surgery. When they are ready, they too will find families who will love them forever.
A Fateful Detour
Bernal hadn’t planned on rescuing a family of 10 that day. She had simply been on her way to a routine doctor’s appointment. But fate had other plans. Because she chose compassion over convenience, 10 innocent lives were saved.
Today, those puppies are safe, loved, and thriving — all because one woman refused to look away.