Five puppies who were so tiny they weighed the same as an apple were found abandoned in a bush in Wales.
The puppies were believed to be one week old, so young that their eyes were still closed when they were discovered by a passerby.
The passerby found them hidden in a cardboard box near a bush in north Wales, after which he took them to the nearest vets in New Broughton.
Fortunately, the vets were able to nurse the pups back to full health in a few days, before being moved to RSPCA Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in Colwyn Bay.
One of the girls has since opened her eyes and it is thought they could be Jack Russell Terriers – but they are still too small to tell for certain, TeamDogs reports.
(Image: RSPCA)
The three males and two females are all making good progress and are now being cared for round the clock with bottle feeding every three hours.
The RSPCA have since appealed for more information about them and how they came to be left in a box.
Centre manager Victoria Williams said: “Luckily the puppies were found before it was too late.
“We think they were only about a week old when they were abandoned and at that very young age they obviously wouldn’t have survived for any length of time on their own.
(Image: RSPCA)
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“Thankfully they are now all making good progress and being bottle fed by us every three hours, although we remain very concerned for the welfare of the mother dog as she will no doubt be really missing her babies.
“It’s just very sad that despite all the education by animal welfare charities there are still some people who are failing to neuter their pets, resulting in distressing incidents like this.”
Anyone who has any information about the puppies should contact the RSPCA’s appeals line in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018.