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40 puppies were traveling to California and had a tragic accident in Texas along the way when the van overturned and killed two of the dogs.

Source: CBS 8 San Diego/YouTube

The transport vehicle flipped on its side on an east Texas highway early Tuesday morning and unfortunately, two of the animals were lost. The driver and 38 of the puppies survived, according to the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, the dog’s destination.

“In my 23 years at the Center, I have never experienced this type of a tragedy,” Renee Resko, the organization’s vice president of development, said in a statement. “We’ve all been so fortunate to just expect that each transport will arrive safely. There is so much care put into these journeys by the participating shelters and the transportation companies who do all of this for the love of the animals. This morning’s accident came as a shock to all of us.”

The van was carrying puppies from the Heart of Louisiana Humane Society, and in Texas, the van hit the median between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. and skidded onto its side, KETK reported.

“Assessments were done by the firemen on each puppy and an emergency vet was contacted to do additional health checks,” according to a news release. “Unfortunately, two of the puppies did not survive the accident.”

The 38 puppies then headed to California, where they will receive a medical assessment from the center’s veterinary team. Those that are deemed healthy will be made available for adoption as soon as possible.

“We know that one of the puppies has a broken leg and one has some mild head trauma so we will be keeping those puppies with us until they are fully recovered,” the center’s adoption services director Kendall Schulz said.

She added, “We are incredibly moved by the severity of the accident and the miracle of how many of them not only survived but were safe from injury. We put all of our hearts into looking after orphan pets but I sincerely feel that something greater was looking out for them.”

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

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