The plight of the six playful puppies pulled from the Gowanus Canal unleashed an outpouring of sympathy from New Yorkers yesterday who rushed to offer them love and homes.
“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” said animal rescuer Regina Massaro, who got over 100 calls from people eager to adopt the 6-week-old collie-mix mutts or make donations to her nonprofit Roxy’s Sanctuary.
The cute Brooklyn pooches – named Bond, Carroll, Douglass, Hoyt, Nevins and Smith – are being treated for mange and will be ready for adoption within four weeks, she said.
Massaro also got calls from people worried about the fate of the courageous mama mutt who tried to help her babies after they toppled into the water – and then ran off after cops and firefighters saved them.
“I’ve assured everyone I’m planning to humanely trap her this weekend,” Massaro said.
“I would adopt the mother, too,” said actress Cornelia Guest, who called Massaro to offer help. “I hate to see any poor animal suffer, and it’s terrible the problem that exists with stray dogs.”
Queens firefighter Fred Aronsen said he hopes to adopt one of the pups as a surprise for his 7-year-old son.
“They’re adorable, and it was so moving that the mother was going to risk her life to save the puppy,” he said.
Massaro said the selfless mom “is an example of all these animals on the street that are nameless and faceless.”
Anyone interested in making a donation should send it to Roxy’s Sanctuary at P.O. Box 780537, Maspeth, N.Y., 11378.