Nineorphaned puppies

January 2008

PUPPIES who are just a week old have tragically been left orphaned after their mother dropped dead at Sharpeshill Animal Sanctuary, a day after giving birth.

Joy at the uncomplicated birth of nine Labrador puppies last Saturday soon turned to sadness when staff found the brood whimpering beside their dead mother on Sunday morning.

Subsequent tests revealed she died from a brain haemorrhage. Now staff face the daunting task of trying to hand rear the litter for the next six to seven weeks and are looking for some assistance from the public.

‘ They were all gathered around their mother in the morning trying to get some milk. It was a very sad scene,’ said Joan O’Neill of Wicklow SPCE.

The mother had been dropped off at the animal sanctuary by an owner who neglected to tell staff the bitch was pregnant.

It wasn’t until she was brought to the vet for a check-up that it was revealed she was expecting. Members of staff have been taking the pups home as they require feeding every two hours, but already find themselves over stretched because of the amount of unwanted dogs handed into the sanctuary after Christmas.

‘It’s a pretty stressful time,’ said Joan. ‘We are all doing our bit but really need some help. You have to take two or three pups home at a time because they snuggle up to one another to keep warm. They are lovely little things and what happened to their mother is just horrible.’

Sharpeshill are looking for foster homes to temporarily look after the pups until they are weaned.

In six or seven weeks they will be returned to Sharpeshill where they will wait for adoption.