Six puppies dumped like rubbish

We're appealing for information after six abandoned puppies were handed into our Canterbury & District Branch, in Kent.

A member of the public arrived at the centre, in Hersden, on 4 January with the puppies in his vehicle, explaining he had found them in the crate on a grass verge close to Broadoak Road and Farleigh Road.

The pups, four red and white cocker spaniels, and two black and white terrier crossbreeds, appear to be in fairly good health, and are approximately four-months-old.

A spokesperson for Canterbury & District Branch said: "At the moment we have very little information about where these pups came from and why they've been abandoned. Thankfully, they seem very bright, fairly healthy pups who are full of beans.

"We don't have facilities at the branch to care for dogs, so we had to manage overnight as best we could before the puppies moved to another RSPCA facility. Our staff and volunteers have really enjoyed looking after the puppies but they do need specific care.

"We're thankful for all the supportive comments on social media and phone calls we've received since the puppies were brought to us, but these pups are not available to rehome yet."

Inspector Clive Hopwood said:

"Sadly, we're expecting to see more dogs being abandoned over the coming months as the demand starts to slow and as those who took dogs on during lockdown are faced with financial, working and family pressures or struggle to cope with under-socialised dogs who cannot be left home alone," Clive added.

Anyone with information about who may have dumped the puppies should contact our inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

The puppies are not yet available for rehoming so please do not contact our centres to enquire. If they're not claimed then they'll go up for adoption once they've been given the all-clear from vets.