When Charlotte Troy heard about four puppies found in a trash can, she knew she had to do something.

The puppies, about a day old, were found in a plastic bag in a trash can at Wachesaw Park in Georgetown County a couple of weeks ago.

They were alive, but they didn't have a birth mother. Troy had an idea. She would see if her dachshund, Cher, would accept them as her own.

"You don't know if they're going to accept them or not," Troy said, but when Cher met the pups, "She took care of them. She stimulated them. Cleaned their umbilical cords. Nursed them. And now she's the mother of these puppies."

Troy thinks the puppies are a shepherd/lab mix, and they'll outgrow Cher soon, but for now, they're nursing and doing well.

Troy is looking for someone to adopt the puppies when they're of age, and she's also accepting donations for veterinary costs.

Troy owns Benji's Bed and Breakfast, a grooming and boarding shop in Pawleys. You can reach them by calling 843-237-7117.