A pregnant dog was dumped hours from death on Pontypridd Common in Rhondda Cynon Taf. She was discovered having just given birth to one dead puppy while another was later found to be still inside her.
It is believed the animal was abandoned by her owners rather than pay for the emergency surgery she required. Instead, the thousands of pounds in medical costs had to be shouldered by Friends of Animals Wales, the small local charity responsible for rescuing her.
And now animal welfare investigators are appealing for information as to how she was allowed to end up in that situation. The dog, who's since been named Poppy, was described as having been ‘hours from death’ by investigators at the London-based Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP).
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One of the group's investigators – who cannot be named due to the sensitive and covert nature of their work - called Poppy's case "one of the cruellest incidents imaginable".
"When Poppy was found, she had already produced one dead puppy," said the investigator. "Further examination by vets revealed that she had another puppy still stuck inside her.
"Poppy had to undergo emergency surgery and, without the team at Friends of Animals Wales, she would no longer be alive." The AWIP member added that they were on the lookout for any information that might lead to the identification of those who dumped her.
"We want anyone who knows anything or has CCTV footage of suspicious activity in the area on that day to get in touch, so we can investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. Please call the Animal Welfare Investigations Project on 0333 335 5749."
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