On July 8, seventeen Border Collie mix puppies were found abandoned in a Livermore Walmart parking lot, one fatally struck by a car. The East Bay SPCA — operating under a new contract with Livermore PD — took in the remaining 16.

Seventeen Border Collie mix puppies, estimated at nine weeks old, were found abandoned in a Livermore Walmart parking lot on July 8 with no owner in sight. One was struck and killed by a car before a good Samaritan — identified in local reports as a woman named Breann — gathered the remaining 16 and transported them to the East Bay SPCA.

The SPCA, which holds a three-year animal services contract with the Livermore Police Department that took effect July 1, 2025, split the 16 puppies between its Dublin and Oakland campuses for medical and behavioral evaluations. All were found to be in overall good health, according to the organization, but will need to be vaccinated, spayed or neutered, dewormed, and microchipped before placement for adoption.

"This situation serves as a perfect example of why we exist, and why we need the support of our community to exist," said Jes Cytron, the SPCA's vice president of operations, in a statement. Spokesperson Victoria Ivankic told reporters the organization's primary interest in identifying whoever left the puppies is practical: to connect them with resources so the parents aren't left intact to produce another litter.

As of July 10, the Livermore Police Department had not responded to press inquiries about whether an investigation was opened. The SPCA expects some of the 16 to be adoption-ready within a week or two; prospective adopters can check eastbayspca.org/adopt.