Four lurcher puppies who were found abandoned in a bag near a river in Leatherhead are recovering well in RSPCA care.
Norma, Jean, Bradley and Cooper are being rehabilitated at the RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre in Surrey after they were found abandoned in a plastic bag at the beginning of the month. All four of the puppies were suffering from severe sarcoptic mange and were almost completely bald.
During their time at the centre in Chobham, they have received a treatment of antibiotics to help fight the skin infection as well as baths twice a week with malaseb shampoo to help soothe their itchy skin.
Liz Wood, deputy manager at RSPCA Millbrook, said: “They are all doing really well and on the road to recovery. We’ve been working hard on their treatment and also working hard to get them socialised by introducing them to different people and different dogs. It is much more difficult due to the centre being closed to the public but we’re pleased that they have now had their second vaccinations which means we can start taking them out for walks, which will also help with their socialisation.Their fur has started to grow back and the scabs on their skin are almost completely gone which means as soon as the puppies have made a full recovery the centre will start to find suitable loving homes.”
Liz explained that one of the puppies, who are now all nearly four months old, still has a few more scabs than her siblings so it may take longer for Norma to be ready for rehoming.
The puppies were found by a member of the public in a bag by the River Mole in Leatherhead on Thursday, 3 June, sometime before 1pm. The RSPCA is still appealing for information and anyone with details is asked to call the inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
The RSPCA gets around 84,000 calls to its cruelty line every month and around 1,500 of those are about intentional cruelty. But the charity sees a rise in the Summer by around 400 calls, on average, per month, which equates to 47 calls every day or two every hour. There were also 1,269 reports of deliberate cruelty to animals in Surrey in the last five years.
The charity has released the figures today as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, to raise funds to keep its rescue teams out on the frontline saving animals in desperate need of help and to raise awareness about how we can all help stamp out cruelty for good.
Please keep an eye on the charity’s website for details on rehoming Norma, Jean, Bradley and Cooper, here: www.rspca.org.uk/findapet
