Ten days after discovering eight puppies dumped inside a roadside bin in the Riverland, the family who worked desperately to save the young animals will reunite with them.

Today’s reunion will highlight RSPCA South Australia’s rescue, care and rehoming of animals in need, all funded by donations, as the charity launches its Guardian Angel Christmas appeal.

“This incredible survival story captures the very worst and the very best of humanity”, RSPCA South Australia CEO Paul Stevenson says.

“The huge outpouring of outrage and concern for these puppies illustrates how important animal welfare is for many South Australians.

“We hope our community digs deep to support our Guardian Angel appeal during the festive season, which is always especially busy with the numbers of animals needing rescue and coming into our care.”

Investigations continue into how the five-week-old Kelpie cross puppies ended up inside two zip-locked, Drover-brand dogfood bags, with coat hanger wire wrapped around the top of each bag. Nicole Olsen and her six-year-old daughter Harper made the shocking discovery on Sunday 1 November. They had pulled into a truck rest stop, located between Wigley Flat and Kingston on Murray, to have lunch on their way home from a family gathering in Renmark. Nicole immediately called family members, who rallied to help save the puppies.

The story has ignited widespread community anger at the still unidentified person responsible, as well as relief that the puppies were found in time. Sadly, however, two of the puppies did not survive the ordeal.

RSPCA South Australia foster carers are looking after the six surviving puppies (three female and three male) in their homes until they are old enough to be desexed and made available for adoption. They are among more than 600 animals currently in RSPCA South Australia’s care, about half of them in foster care.

Today, the puppies and their rescuers will come together for the first time since the drama of ten days ago. The rescuers include Nicole’s seven-year-old nephew, Easton, who has a particularly deep love of animals. Easton’s mother, Mandy, is hoping today’s reunion will go some way towards helping reassure her son – and all her family members who witnessed the distressing scenes on that Sunday afternoon – that the puppies are okay and that there is goodness in the world.

“We’re all really looking forward to seeing these beautiful babies again, and we’re so grateful to the RSPCA for being there for them,” Mandy says.

“I’ve told my children that we were like angels for these puppies, and I hope as many people as possible become Guardian Angels for all the animals waiting for new homes at RSPCA’s shelters.”