These tiny, hours-old puppies were separated from their mother and dumped in the woods

These puppieswere just hours old when they were abandoned in the woods in Sheffield, England. It’s not clear where their mother or their owner is. The tiny pooches were picked up by a caring passerby and are now hand-reared by dedicated RSPCA staff and volunteers.

'They were extremely vulnerable'

The litter of five newborn puppies, possibly French bulldog breeds, were found dumped in Beeley Woods in Sheffield, England, on September 13. Two males and three females, these 'extremely vulnerable' tiny pooches were only hours old with their umbilical cords still attached. They were also very cold, having already been in the woods for some time before they were spotted.

Passersby rescued the incredibly small pups and rushed them to a vet, where the staff 'warmed them up slowly'. They were then taken into the care of the local RSPCA branch.

Hayley Crookes, charity’s Sheffield animal lead, said:

We don't know for sure what these little loves will grow into, or what happened to their mum, but what we do know is they're now in the best place to have a real shot at survival and their happy ever afters.

Round-the-clock care

The animal charity is currently caring for the poor pooches round-the-clock. They will have to be hand-reared and nursed to health before they can find their forever homes.

Each of the pups was given to one of five dedicated volunteers who'll foster and hand-rear them.

The RSPCA deputy chief inspector Sara Jordan has taken one of the pups and named it Otter. She feeds him 'every couple of hours’ along with fellow RSPCA inspector Leanne Booth.

She said:

I'm caring for a little boy called Otter who needs feeding every couple of hours and I have to take him everywhere with me and keep a very close eye on him. He has a favourite soft toy to cuddle up to as well.

According to Sara and her colleagues, hand-rearing is incredibly difficult and doesn't always work out. Luckily, the five puppies they are caring for ‘are getting stronger and stronger every day’.

The RSPCA is appealing for information and donations

Sara is investigating this exceptional case of cruelty and hopes to find the person responsible for it. She is keen to hear from anyone in the area who may have any information about how the tiny puppies ended up in the woods.

She commented:

They were so young and vulnerable, and if left much longer, they could have easily died. Abandoning tiny puppies like this is so irresponsible and cruel. Please, please never abandon your pet but ask for help before things get so desperate.

Already overwhelmed by the epidemic of abandoned animals, the RSPCA branch has launched a fundraising appeal and their special Amazon wishlist to help pay for the care of these puppies.

Head to RSPCA's website to learn more about the charity and support their vital animal welfare and rescue work.

Sources used:

- The RSPCA: 'Five newborn puppies with umbilical cords stil

Read more:

⋙ This traumatised abandoned pup suffered from a 'vicious cycle of stress'

⋙ 'Dumped like a piece of rubbish': rescue’s horror after dog 'hours-from-death' found abandoned in a park

⋙ Rescue’s heartbreak as these puppies were abandoned because their owners couldn’t afford them anymore

l attached dumped in Sheffield woods'