Abandoned
Despite not being able to see a mother or a father in the vicinity, they knew that they had to be cautious. Some animals will abandon their young when humans come into contact with them, but others can become vicious and attack in defense of their young. However, the signs pointed at abandonment.
A Difficult Situation
When the team got clear sight of the puppies, they were in real awe that they had managed to survive until that point. The sewer covered in dirt and garbage, and to make matters worse, due to lack of sunlight, the underground was freezing cold. Regardless of what they saw, they knew that they needed to try as hard as they could to save these little babies.