Saved! Meet the seven pedigree pups who have a happy new life at boarding kennels after they were found dumped by a country path
- Seven adorable pedigree puppies were abandoned last week in Hampshire
- Cyclist Rob Carter, 51, found the red and gold Labradors near Winchester
- All seven have now been temporarily rehomed by Winchester City Council
Tails wagging, tongues lolling and wet noses snuffling, these adorable puppies are having the time of their lives exploring the great outdoors.
It is a remarkable turnaround for the seven pedigree pups who only last week were found cruelly abandoned at the side of a country path.
The Labradors were found by cyclist Rob Carter, who spotted one of the pups scared and shivering by some bushes.
When he and two fellow cyclists stopped, the other six fox red and golden Labradors – which can cost up to £4,000 each – plucked up the courage to emerge from the undergrowth.
Tails wagging, tongues lolling and wet noses snuffling, these adorable puppies are having the time of their lives exploring the great outdoors
The Labradors were found by cyclist Rob Carter, who spotted one of the pups scared and shivering by some bushes
Mr Carter, 51, was cycling the South Downs Way near Winchester, Hampshire, when he stumbled across the pups, which are estimated to be between three and four months old.
‘When we found the dogs dumped like this I was shocked, distressed and frustrated because they are such beautiful dogs – they look pedigree,’ he said.
‘We found one first. It was just sat there and we thought the poor dog might have been hit by a car or was lost. It was really scared and then the other six turned up out of the bushes, which is when I thought something really bad has happened.
‘I was very surprised to see seven abandoned dogs and also saddened, but this is such a busy path that I don’t think they can have been there for long.’
Mr Carter, a married father of two, added: ‘A couple of the dogs were a bit timid but others were jumping all over us. They were used to human contact but clearly very hungry.’
Mr Carter, managing director of housing firm Millgate in Winchester, suspects they could have been stolen, then abandoned. Increased demand for puppies during lockdown saw a rise in the number of dogs being stolen to be sold on.
Rob Carter, 51, was cycling the South Downs Way near Winchester, Hampshire, when he stumbled across the pups, which are estimated to be between three and four months old
‘When we found the dogs dumped like this I was shocked, distressed and frustrated because they are such beautiful dogs – they look pedigree,’ Mr Carter said
Mr Carter, a married father of two, added: ‘A couple of the dogs were a bit timid but others were jumping all over us. They were used to human contact but clearly very hungry.’ Police said they were unaware of any reported thefts of Labrador pups
Two members of Winchester City Council Animal Welfare team (ends, left & right) with Three Oaks Boarding Kennels staff (centre) in Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, with the seven puppies
Police said they were unaware of any reported thefts of Labrador pups.
After calling a vet, Mr Carter and friends Angus Buchanan and John Kernick were directed to the Three Oaks Boarding Kennels in nearby Bishop’s Waltham, where the puppies were taken.
All seven have now been temporarily rehomed by Winchester City Council, which will take care of them for seven days before they are moved to a rescue centre.
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