A furry family reunion is happening this weekend at Old Drum & Friends Animal Shelter in Warrensburg.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, a litter of puppies will be reunited for the first time since their adoption to help celebrate a second chance grant provided by Adopt-A-Pet.com and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. The $15,000 grant was awarded to Old Drum & Friends Animal Shelter for Advantage II flea and tick preventative.

The grant was awarded based on a story about a mother dog and her litter of puppies that were abandoned near the shelter at 37 SW 101 Road last July. The shelter described the puppies as not being in the best condition, suffering from multiple parasites and skin infections. However, with treatment and care, Old Drum was able to heal their wounds and place them in new homes.

The grant was co-written by Sarah Patton, manager of Old Drum & Friends Animal Shelter, and UCM alumna Kelsey Howard.

Patton expressed her excitement for the reunion and the celebration of the grant.

“Everyone I’ve talked to seems really excited about having this little reunion and getting all of the puppies back together and seeing how they interact with one another again,” she said.

Six of the eight puppies will be in attendance for the celebration this weekend. Patton said the mother of the litter will not be in attendance; however, pictures of her with her current owners will be displayed during the celebration.

Come and meet the family of dogs whose story is helping other shelter pets to a better life.