Abandoned Maltese dogs up for adoption

It was just a week ago when 16 Maltese-mix dogs were dropped off at the Humane Society of Greater Miami covered in filth and urine. Staff have nursed them back to health, and said they'll soon be ready for adoption.

"Pez is 6 years old; when he first came here no one could get near him," executive director Laurie Hoffman said.

That's because Pez and 15 other Maltese mixes were discovered last Friday outside the animal shelter piled on top of each other inside two small crates.

Staff have been working non-stop to nurse them back to health. Although the dogs are still a little shaken up, they're making tremendous progress.

"Slowly but surely, they're coming out of their shell; it's taking some time," Hoffman said. "But it is quite a different world that they have here rather than where they came from."

Some of the dogs had feces matted into their fur when they were dropped off. Others were discolored from urine and filth.

"When we took them out of their crates, that they were stuffed into, and they went back into a corner of a crate and sat on top of each other. That's how we knew that's what they were used to," Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the dogs are getting the "Ritz Carlton" treatment at the shelter, and will soon be placed up for adoption.

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