RSPCA seek information on puppies dumped in a bin
These little kelpies were stuffed in bags and thrown in a rest-stop rubbish bin. It was pure luck they were discovered by a passing motorist.
SA News
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The RSPCA is calling for any information that could help it find the person who dumped eight puppies in a roadside rest stop bin at the weekend.
A passing motorist found the flea-infested kelpies zip-locked inside old dog food bags in the bin at the rest stop between Wigley Flat and Kingston on Sunday.
She had stopped to eat some food when she heard a whimpering sound coming from the nearby bin.
The woman, with the help of her six-year-old daughter, had to kick off the lid of the bin to gain access.
Underneath some rubbish she found two 20kg dog food bags, one sitting on top of the other. Both bags had coat hanger wire wrapped around the zip locks.
The woman found the five-week-old puppies in each bag, with the two puppies at the bottom of the bag limp, covered in maggots and unresponsive. The temperature at the time was 25C.
The woman phoned for help from relatives, and wrapped the puppies in towels and gave them water in a bid to save them. One of the puppies died in transit, while another had to be euthanised by a local vet.
The remaining six puppies are in care at RSPCA Lonsdale. All were flea-infested and dehydrated but were expected to make a full recovery,
RSPCA chief inspector Andrea Lewis said the dumping of live animals showed an appalling lack of empathy.
“This incident falls into the highest end of callous treatment of animals,” Ms Lewis said.
“These puppies were found purely by chance and we have no idea how long they had been there.
“You would have to assume that whoever did this did not want those puppies to survive, because this person has not only left them in a remote location but they have also put these young animals inside tightly secured bags, and then put the bin’s lid down.”
Ms Lewis encouraged anyone who knew of someone who recently had a litter of puppies that suddenly disappeared, or had a female keplie dog with showing signs of recently giving birth to contact the RSPCA.
Abandoning an animal is an offence under SA’s Animal Welfare Act, and anyone found guilty of an offence can face up to two years imprisonment or a $20,000 fine.
