Three dead puppies were found in carrier bags after being dumped behind a bus stop.
The brown spaniel-type puppies - thought to be aged between eight and 10 weeks old - had been put in a Tesco carrier bag and two black bin liners and left in bushes behind a bus stop on Reginald Road, in St Helens. A member of the public made the distressing discovery just before 6pm on April 20, and contacted the RSPCA.
The puppies were taken to the charity’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital where they were examined by a vet. Their severely decomposing bodies suggested they had probably been dead for between two and three weeks. All of them had teeth and would likely have been weaned from their mother.
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A pair of blue children’s shorts from Primark was found in one of the black bin liners. A spotted blanket had also been left in the field behind the hedgerow, although it’s not known if it’s connected to the incident.
They weren’t microchipped and it wasn’t possible from their condition to determine the cause of death. As the cost of living crisis continues, the RSPCA says officers are dealing with increasing numbers of abandoned animals. In March alone, the charity received 1,517 reports about abandonments - up from 1,429 for the same month last year; a rise of six percent.
Inspector Bethel said: “There was a strong smell of decay as I approached the location where the puppies were discovered. One of them was partially hanging out of the Tesco bag and it must have been a very distressing sight for this member of the public to come across.
“Three bodies dumped in this way obviously raise suspicions that they may have come from an unscrupulous breeder. Perhaps they were deemed ‘unsellable' because they weren’t in the best of health or just simply unwanted. The health and welfare of their mum is also of concern.
“It's upsetting when young, vulnerable young animals are found in circumstances like this, and of course it reinforces the need for people to get their dogs neutered to prevent unwanted litters.”
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