Authorities in Gaston County, North Carolina, say eight newborn puppies found abandoned in a cardboard box at a former animal care site have been rescued and reunited with their mother, Roxie.

Investigators identified 39-year-old Heather Knight, who faces eight counts each of animal abandonment and cruelty. Officials say the act was intentional. The location had been closed for six years, with signs directing visitors to the current facility, and the abandonment could have led to the puppies’ deaths from exposure or starvation.