13 dogs rescued, in need of homes after owner was killed in crash

AUSTIN, Texas – Thirteen dogs were recovered from a home in the Sandy Creek community last month after their owner was killed in a crash.

Now they are in need of homes.

What they’re saying:

The dogs’ owner was killed in a crash on Nameless Road in the Leander area on Oct. 17.

The dogs were taken in by Payton Coker, who posted about her rescue effort on a social media page for neighborhoods in Northwest Austin and Cedar Park.

“I don’t know if they know that their owner is gone,” said Coker. 

“So my first instinct was, okay, so there’s 13 dogs who don’t have anywhere to go at the moment. What can I do? Can I reach out to Nextdoor? Can I reach out to Facebook? I understand that, you know, 13 dogs is a lot, but I’m an animal lover. There’s a bunch of animal lovers out there too, and you know they just really need a good home and a loving home,” she added.

The dogs are currently staying on a ranch owned by Payton’s mother close to their original home. They’re mostly mixed breeds and range in size.

“There’s five-month-old puppies up to, you know, senior dogs. So these dogs are the sweetest dogs that I have ever met. They’re so friendly, they’re so sweet. They just like to come up to you and rub on you,” said Coker.

In response to her social media post, some food has been dropped off and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with expenses.

The main goal is finding homes.

“Maybe reach out to friends or family. Say, hey, there’s 13 dogs who are in need of a loving home. Call your local animal shelter. Maybe you could reach out to me directly. Even neighbors, friends, family, cousins, your best friend’s cousins. I mean, really, anything helps,” said Coker.

An effort is being made to keep the dogs together. That’s why Payton said she has held off contacting local shelters. 

She is willing to adopt the dogs individually but is also looking for people who are willing to do foster care.