A litter of four-week old puppies has been discovered in a plastic bag at a roadside in Dublin.
A member of the public found the litter of six, and handed them in to Dogs Trust.
Two of the puppies were already dead, and a further two later died.
Dogs Trust says it received a record number of surrender requests in 2023, reaching almost 4-thousand.
It's the highest number since it opened its doors in 2009.
"Defenceless"
In a statement it says: "Dogs Trust Ireland is highlighting the worrying increase in the number of dogs needing their help after they took in a litter of defenceless four-week-old puppies that were abandoned in Co. Dublin.
"A shocked member of the public spotted one of the tiny puppies in the middle of the road and when he got out to help, he discovered a plastic bag containing the puppy’s six siblings nearby.
"The pups were soaking wet and distressingly, two of them were already dead.
"The veterinary team at Dogs Trust did their utmost to treat the puppies but given their age and the condition they arrived in, despite their best efforts, only two survived."
"Crisis"
Veterinary and Welfare Manager at Dogs Trust Ireland, Niamh Curran-Kelly, explained: "Cases like this are incredibly upsetting for everyone involved. At just four-weeks-old, puppies are still heavily dependent on their mother and wouldn’t be fully weaned yet.
"They were far too young to be separated from her, let alone to have been left outside in the cold and rain. Despite receiving the very best care, we were saddened that only two of the puppies have survived this ordeal.
"Thankfully, these two little fighters are thriving, and both have recently been adopted."
Last November, Dogs Trust launched their ‘Save the Next Dog’ campaign highlighting the abandoned dog crisis in Ireland. The charity had almost 4,000 people contact them in 2023, seeking to relinquish their dog into their care.
This was the highest volume of such requests Dogs Trust has received since opening their doors in 2009. The charity fears that even more dogs will need their help in 2024.
