Six puppies, just a couple of hours old, have been found dumped in a shoe box in Mulhuddart.
The discovery was made near Our Lady's Well on Sunday night.
An appeal has been made for information and for the mother to be surrendered.
Louise Connolly, a dog groomer and animal rescuer, has been looking after the young dogs;
"It was the first night we had really the cold weather so when they were found they were wet and cold, I actually didn't think they would make it through the night.
There was no even blanket or nothing in it, it was literally a piece of paper you would get with your shoes. They were literally a couple of hours old, there umbilical cord still had bits of blood on it."
It's too early to determine what breed the three boys and three girls are but it's believed they may be some kind of terrier cross.