Gawler woman Nicole Olsen, who rescued puppies dumped inside bin in Riverland, says she still feels sick

The woman who pulled eight puppies stuffed in zip-locked bags from a rest-stop bin in the Riverland says she still “feels sick” thinking about it.

Nicole Olsen still feels sick after pulling two zip-locked bags stuffed with eight puppies from a rest-stop bin at the weekend.

The Gawler mother was having a picnic with her six-year-old daughter, Harper, on the way home from a weekend in Renmark when she heard a whimper coming from a nearby bin.

“I started looking around as we were in the middle of nowhere,” Ms Olsen said.

“My daughter started crying because she thought it was a baby.”

Ms Olsen kicked open the bin’s lid and noticed two moving bags inside, wired shut with coat hangers. She was apprehensive to open the bags at first, because she didn’t know what was in them.

Nicole Olsen, with her daughter Harper, 6. They found eight puppies in zip-locked bags inside a bin on Sunday. Pictures: Nicole Olsen

RSPCA South Australia is seeking information in relation to the dumping of eight puppies in a bin at a truck rest stop in the Riverland. Picture: RSPCA SA

“They had taken a coat hanger wire and they had wrapped it and wrapped it … I don’t know how long it took me to unwrap it, it was adrenaline.”

When she finally opened one of the bags she noticed a kelpie puppy looking at her.

“They were very warm and there was a lot of condensation in the bags, they were sweaty.”

After calling family members and the police the puppies were taken to her Gawler home for food and water.

Two of the puppies that survived being pulled out of the bin. Picture: RSPCA

Some of the puppies found dumped in the bin, inside plastic bags. Picture: RSPCA SA

She rubbed them down with towels because they were covered in fleas and maggots.

Two days on, Ms Olsen said she was still “very emotional”.

“I really can’t fathom the idea that the only option was to leave eight puppies in the bin.

“It just makes me feel sick … there’s nothing I could say which could justify doing that.”

The bags were piled on top of each other, so the two puppies at the bottom of the bags passed away the following day.

The RSPCA were contacted, and the remaining six puppies have been taken to the RSPCA’s Lonsdale shelter.

Ms Olsen’s mother-in-law hopes to adopt a puppy to keep it on her Munno Parra West property.

“We want the dog somewhere all the kids can go visit.”

The RSPCA is calling for help, and encourages any information on a suspect to contact them on 1300 577 722