A group of tiny cross-breed puppies have been saved after they were found abandoned on the street in a plastic box.
The RSPCA said the dogs were found by a member of the public in Morden, south London, but that they weren’t sure how long they had been there for.
Three of the puppies appeared to be around six weeks old, while the other two were thought to be less than a week old – so young that they weren’t even able to open their eyes yet.
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The clear plastic box had been shut closed, with a small crack in the lid allowing air inside.
Water had pooled on the lid of the box, suggesting the pups had been left out in the rain – having had to ‘huddle together’ on a towel left with them.
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RSPCA inspector Liz Wheeler, who was called by the member of the public who had discovered the abandoned animals, said: “The caller wasn’t sure whether the pups had been abandoned overnight or early in the morning, but the lid was swimming in a puddle of water so the puppies had been left outside for some time during the rain.
“Thankfully the puppies were okay huddled together on a brown towel in the box but they were clearly very vulnerable. Leaving them like this is incredibly irresponsible.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to the woman who found the puppies for acting so quickly to get them to safety – and even bought some puppy milk for them.”
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According to the RSPCA, the number of animals being abandoned has risen by 17 percent between 2020 and 2021 – with a further jump of 24 percent for the first part of 2022.
Wheeler continued: “Times are tough right now, and we fear that these puppies have been abandoned because their owners simply couldn’t face the costs of responsibly raising them.
“Our new Animal Kindness Index found 19% of owners are worried about feeding their pets.
“While we understand that many people are struggling right now we would plead with pet owners never ever to abandon their animals; especially such vulnerable animals like these puppies.”
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She added: “If anyone has any information about where these puppies have come from or saw anything suspicious in the Buckfast Road area of Morden on Saturday night or Sunday morning please call our appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
“We’re concerned that there could be more puppies and bitches who may be in need of veterinary attention, and we’d like to check that they’re okay.”
Jess Hardiman