Animal rights advocates from across the state gathered at the Statehouse on Wednesday to lobby for tougher animal cruelty laws. Those with AHeinz57 Pet Rescue and Transport in De Soto said legislation can prevent cases such as one last month, when a litter of newborn puppies were dumped from a bridge into icy water near the Iowa-Missouri border and almost didn’t survive. Six weeks later, the 14 puppies are thriving. They’re rambunctious, playful and, most importantly, healthy. And they are just about ready for adoption. “It really is a miracle,” said Amy Heinz, owner of AHeinz57. When the puppies were found, they each weighed around 10 ounces, and one still had its umbilical cord attached.“She was injured,” Heinz said. “She wasn’t doing well. She was dehydrated, and she needed the most help. The organization has been nursing the puppies back to health around the clock. “Who could throw this away? Just a baby. Yeah, you’re just a cute little baby,” Heinz said.RELATED: Newborn puppies tossed over bridge recovering at Iowa rescuePuppies thrown over bridge into icy water recovering wellLaw enforcement officials said they are still searching for the person responsible, but Heinz said if the offender is caught, they should be charged with a felony, not a misdemeanor. Heinz is one of hundreds of animal advocates across the state fighting to toughen animal cruelty laws. “When people do heinous things like throw a bag of puppies into an icy river, they actually get punished,” Heinz said.Since their near-death experience, the puppies have made a remarkable comeback. Some weigh close to 7 pounds now. “None of them are sick. None of them have lasting injuries from the fall,” Heinz said. On Wednesday, they were primped and prepped for adoption. All of the puppies are ready to find their forever homes. In two to three weeks, they will be adopted. Hundreds of people have already expressed interest, but you can still apply online if you’d like to adopt one of these puppies.