Five 'shivering' dachshund puppies were found dumped in a cage on a street in Salford.
The tiny pups were found abandoned on pavement outside a derelict building on Oak Road earlier this week, the RSPCA said. They were found by a concerned member of the public in the crate covered by a white sheet.
The dachshunds had skin conditions, worms, were covered in fleas and were underweight. RSPCA animal rescue officer Jess Pierce said they were 'not in a good state at all' and were shivering when they were found.
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She said: "They are all very thin, you can see their ribs - they have very little fat on them and it is no wonder they were shivering. They have a skin condition and were also covered in fleas and faeces; the poor puppies were not in a good state at all.
"Whoever did this left a bowl of water in the crate, but it concerns us that someone thought it was okay to abandon these puppies in the first place - they are only around 16 weeks old, so are young and defenceless. I hate to think what could have happened to them had they not been found."
The puppies who have been named Belle, Jingle, Tinsel, Holly and Santa - are now being looked after at a RSPCA centre. Jess added: "I’m urging anyone who knows who dumped these pups to get in touch with us in complete confidence.
"It’s not acceptable to abandon animals in such a callous way." The puppies were found on the same day shocking figures were released by the RSPCA which revealed a huge rise in animals being left abandoned in Greater Manchester amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The animal welfare charity is 'desperately concerned' about the coming winter months after statistics showed a 45 per cent rise in the number of reports of animals being left stranded in our region this year compared with 2020. The RSPCA is on course to receive 1,291 reports this year in Greater Manchester, the figures revealed.
Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner, said: "The combined effects of the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis has created a perfect storm - and means we expect more animals than ever will need our help this year. Abandonment calls to our emergency line are now at a three-year high, as we respond to an increasing number of animals being given up and dumped.
"Behind these shocking statistics are thousands of vulnerable animals. Each one is a valuable life in urgent need of our help. We’re desperately concerned about the coming winter months - abandonments have soared and many rescue centres are full to bursting, so we are facing an unprecedented winter crisis."
This year the RSPCA is asking supporters to Join the Christmas Rescue by donating to help rescue teams reach the thousands of animals who desperately need them.
Anyone with information on the abandoned puppies should contact the RSPCA’s appeals line on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 1188117.
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