8 Dead Puppies Found In Rubbish Can Near Playground

The bodies of eight puppies, wrapped in a plastic bag, were found dumped in a rubbish bin at a park in Ashburton, New Zealand.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SCPA) said, “The eight Bull Mastiff cross puppies - five boys, three girls estimated to be only a couple of days old - were found in a rubbish bin next to the playground at Mona Square in Ashburton.”

Though the exact cause of the death was not known, the organization believed the puppies could “ have frozen to death” due to the extremely cold temperatures the previous night.

“Postmortem results showed that these puppies have been fed by their mum, and they looked otherwise healthy,” the post said.

The organization urged people to come forward with any information about the animals.

“SPCA Inspectorate is calling for the public to come forward with any information about these puppies or any witnesses of this abandonment. We are desperate to find the puppies' mum - who will be traumatized and is at risk of developing mastitis,” the post added.

Rebecca Dobson, the manager of the SCPA Ashburton center, said, "Our center is shaken today. We are both heartbroken and angry. My message to the owner of these puppies is: we would have helped you. Our doors are always open for vulnerable animals.”

"If you have any information about these puppies or their mum, please call our Inspectorate on 03-307-1019. All calls will be kept confidential,” she added. The investigation was ongoing.

In a similar incident in the Indian state of West Bengal in January, 16 dead puppies were found in plastic bags at the parking lot of a hospital. An adult dog, probably the mother, was also found in a bag. The incident came to light after some people tore open the bag and found the puppies, two of which were still breathing. Eyewitnesses said they saw two women abandoning the bag but did not know there were puppies in it.