A tiny puppy who was found with his front legs tied together and dumped in a handbag is winning over the hearts of RSPCA staff caring for him.
Eight-week old Radley was found by a member of the public in the early hours of Monday morning (17 September).
The RSPCA received a call from a woman who found the puppy in a red handbag fastened to the door handle of a charity shop in The Broadway Greenford at around 2am in the morning.
RSPCA Inspector, Phil Norman, said: “The pup’s front paws were tied together with an elasticated hairband. There was also an unopened tin of dog food in the bag and a note stuck to the outside saying, ‘Found this puppy’.”
The small, male puppy – thought to be a border terrier cross – initially had some damage to his paws where the hairband had cut off his circulation but has now recovered and seems to be moving well.
He is in fairly good body condition but has had diarrhoea so is being monitored. Inspector Norman is now investigating how the little puppy came to be dumped in the handbag and why he was hobbled in such a way.
He said: “Poor little Radley must have been very stressed and frightened being stuffed into that handbag and abandoned in the middle of the night. The hairband would have also caused him some pain and restricted his movement, adding to his distress.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for leaving a young, vulnerable puppy like this in such awful circumstances and Radley is lucky he wasn’t more seriously injured.”
Radley was taken to the RSPCA Putney Animal Hospital, in south-west London. Inspector Norman has spoken to the local shops and is gathering CCTV in order to trace whoever is responsible for abandoning the pup.
He is also seeking any witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious in the area at the time or who recognise Radley to get in touch by calling the charity’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
