8 puppies abandoned in freezing cold

[Cathy1]

Stephanie Walsh, executive director of the Fredericton SPCA, welcomes eight new puppies that were found abandoned in a park on Tuesday.
(CBC)

8 puppies abandoned in freezing cold

03/02/2010 11:47:05 AM

CBC News
Eight puppies were discovered whimpering inside a large plastic container after being abandoned at a Fredericton park in the freezing cold Tuesday.


Stephanie Walsh, the executive director of the Fredericton SPCA, said the puppies, which appear to be a mix of German shepherd and Labrador retriever, are lucky to be alive and to have survived without frost-bitten paws or tails.

"A few minutes in weather like this morning, and they don't - they don't stand a chance," Walsh said.

The young dogs, which are mainly brown and black, were found at O'Dell Park on Tuesday morning, when the temperature fell to ?31 C with the wind chill factored in.

Walsh said this incident is not unusual as people abandon animals for a variety of reasons.

"They're definitely a handful, and eight puppies I can see where somebody could get stressed out if they've got these critters in their house," she said.

But Walsh said there are other options for unwanted animals and the owner would just need to ask for help.

She said this abandonment had a happy ending.

Although the puppies don't have names yet, she's already fielding calls from people who want to adopt them.

It's expected all eight will get a clean bill of health and will be available for adoption in a couple of weeks.

[Kay9]

Jail time I tell you, jail time!

[Stinkycat]

Thats horrific!

Although I do see why someone may do this. You bring them into the SPCA and they lecture you on responsible animal keeping and give you the 'stare'. I'm not saying that they should dump the puppies to die though. It's just sometimes shelters make it impossible to give animals to.

I do think people should goto jail for cruelty to animals, serial killers are made from being cruel to animals...

[hazelrunpack]

If someone has an unplanned litter and they take it to a shelter, the shelter has a responsibility to try to educate them about being a responsible pet owner. It is, after all, irresponsible pet owners that are keeping the shelters overflowing. A lecture and a 'stare' should hardly be enough to make it 'impossible' for someone to drop them off. And sometimes, perhaps, the owners see the light.

Thank dawg that these puppies were rescued in time! Too bad the owners were too weak-hearted to own up to their own irresponsibility and drop them off somewhere safe.

[Chris21711]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

If someone has an unplanned litter and they take it to a shelter, the shelter has a responsibility to try to educate them about being a responsible pet owner.

You are absolutely right Hazel.

It is, after all, irresponsible pet owners that are keeping the shelters overflowing.

Right again.

A lecture and a 'stare' should hardly be enough to make it 'impossible' for someone to drop them off. And sometimes, perhaps, the owners see the light.

They are lucky that they only get the 'stare'....the shelter worker would like to do so much more, but that would be illegal

[Bailey_]

Uhmmmm....I don't see how anyone could do this. I'd rather get a lecture and be stared at than leave puppies out in the cold. Heck, go ahead and slap my forehead if thats what you have to do in order for me to leave puppies in a warm building with food and shelter...

But then again, I would also never breed irresponsibly in the first place. (Or at all for that matter.)