Sprout and Parsnip were rushed to the vets by Hope Rescue and are recovering together
TWO puppies that were found dumped in a dustbin will soon be looking for new homes.
The dogs have been called Sprout and Parsnip by staff who are nursing them back to health at the Hope Rescue Centre in Llanharan.
The 10-week-old pair were discovered covered in fleas, underweight, and with a skin condition that is contagious to humans when they were found by a woman in her dustbin in Aberthin, near Cowbridge.
Due to the state in which they were found, it’s expected to take at least six weeks of treatment before the dogs are in a condition where they can be re-homed.
Hope Rescue Centre founder Vanessa Waddon, 53, said: “When they first arrived, we thought they had Parvovirus because they were very weak and had hair loss and fleas.
“We had to keep them at the vets overnight because they had sarcoptic mange, which is zoonotic, which means it can be passed from dogs to humans – scabies comes from it.
“Because they’re contagious they have to be nursed at a distance, so we’re in our white suits and gloved up.”
Ms Waddon believes that the cause of the dogs’ illnesses is down to malnutrition, and that both dogs were abandoned.
According to RSPCA data, In Wales last year there were 180 reports of animals being abandoned in Winter, including 53 in December alone.
“They’re probably part of an unsold litter, but we don’t know where they came from,” added Ms Waddon.
If the dogs were mistreated before they were abandoned, their original owner could face a jail sentence. People who abuse animals can now face up to five years in prison after the Animal Welfare Sentencing Bill passed into law this April.
Ms Waddon says that the road to recovery for Sprout and Parsnip is set to be a long one.
“It’ll take at least six weeks of medicated baths, so they won’t be re-homed quickly. When they are no longer contagious, we’ll put them into a foster home, but it is difficult at the moment.”
While events like this are shocking, they are not uncommon. The RSPCA say that while more than 3.2m people across England and Wales became pet owners at the start of the pandemic, with the end of furlough, more people coming back to work and rising food prices and energy bills, the increased pressures will result in more pets being abandoned.
“There was a big puppy farm seizure in September, and we took in 48 dogs in pretty poor condition, so things like this are actually quite common,” said Ms Whaddon.
“We have to take in strays regardless of their age, breed or medical condition.”
Dermot Murphy, who heads the RSPCA frontline rescue teams, said officers will be saving animals across England and Wales throughout the festive season, including on Christmas Day.
“It’s a sad reality that some pets will be turned out on the streets this Christmas and we are braced for even more of that happening as the bills are rising, there are presents to buy or the commitment needed to own a pet becomes too much.
“Please never abandon a pet. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.”
The Hope Rescue Centre spends roughly £20,000 per month on vet bills for the animals in their care, and in their most recent fundraising drive volunteers raised £7,000 to go towards those bills.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Centre can do so by clicking here.
