‘Miracle Puppies’ thriving after being abandoned in alley

They’re dubbed the “Miracle Puppies.”

Belle and Pacific, a pair of 6-week-old pit bulls, were found April 23 tied in a plastic bag and abandoned in a Tacoma alley. Their nine siblings and mother, who was dumped in another bag, died.

Officials weren’t sure the dogs would make it.

It took an hour of warming pads, blankets, warm blowing air and massages before the puppies regained a normal body temperature, rising to the 100-degree average from 90 degrees .

The Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society placed them with a foster family who has been caring for the two. The foster mother named the dogs after where they were found.

On Friday, Pacific and Belle returned to the Humane Society for their first vaccines.

The pit bulls are “thriving” and “everyone was thrilled to see them looking so fat and happy,” according to a Facebook post.

In a few weeks, the puppies will be separated and adopted by different families.

Police have not determined who dumped the dogs, who were 3 days old at the time. The mother dog is believed to have died from complications of having her first litter and the owner presumably threw the puppies out with her.

A man walking his dog in the alley spotted the bags and called animal control officers. The dogs likely were dumped only hours before they were found and couldn’t survive on the cold ground with limited air.

Pacific and Belle survived because they were on the top of the pile.

Animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever dumped the dogs in the alley.

Anyone with information is asked to call police spokeswoman Loretta Cool at 253-591-5968.

This story was originally published June 4, 2015 at 2:44 PM with the headline "‘Miracle Puppies’ thriving after being abandoned in alley."