Pups are are fighting for their lives as vets fear they are suffering with ‘canine distemper’ - a serious disease that is often fatal.
The RSPCA is appealing for information after three English Bulldog puppies were found dumped under a bush in Halesowen, Dudley with no food or water.
The sibling puppies, thought to be just five weeks old, were found by a member of the public as he was out walking on Thursday evening (12 April). He spotted the crate under the bush in Hayes Lane and when he peered inside, he saw the three helpless puppies.
After taking them to his home that night to keep them warm, he drove them straight to RSPCA Newbrook Farm Animal Hospital in Birmingham first thing the following morning, where staff were keen to check the puppies straight away as they were shivering, bloated and were wobbly on their paws when they tried to walk.
Sadly, the hospital’s vet suspects the siblings are suffering from canine distemper, a serious disease often seen in puppies bred in large numbers on illegal puppies farms. The puppies are currently being treated on an isolation ward at the charity’s hospital, while vets continue to do all they can to save their lives.
RSPCA inspector Mike Scargill said: “Canine distemper is a very serious disease and sadly, not all puppies recover. It is highly contagious and requires a lot of urgent treatment. Our vets are doing all they can for these three and I’m really hoping they pull through.
“For someone to have deliberately left them out in the cold in a crate with no food or water is completely irresponsible and extremely cruel.
“I’m appealing to the public for any information about these pups and where they came from. English Bulldogs are an unusual breed to be abandoned like this as breeders are few and far between, but as the puppies are not microchipped I have little information at the moment.
“It’s most likely they’ve been dumped because they are so poorly. It’s possible they were either stolen and then dumped, or bred by an unscrupulous dog breeder who knew they couldn’t make money from them and decided to throw them out like rubbish. Either way, I’m very keen for any information to help me investigate.
“I can be contacted on our inspector’s appeal line number on 0300 123 8018, where anyone with information can leave me a message in complete confidence.”
The puppies are extremely poorly and so they will not be available for rehoming for some time.
To help the RSPCA continue investigating incidents like this please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give