Tiny pups left to die in a plastic bag
THREE new-born puppies that were abandoned in a plastic bag and left dangling over a river a few weeks ago are now thriving in ISPCA care.
Although the pups, Fern, Alex and Glen have pulled through, they still need a lot of critical care and will need to stay at the ISPCA animal rehabilitation centre for several more weeks.
Worryingly, many of the organisation’s fundraising activities have been cancelled or postponed so kind donations from animal lovers are more important to the charity than ever.
‘If you can, please help us continue our vital work rescuing and caring for vulnerable animals,’ the centre said in its appeal.
ISPCA centre manager and veterinary nurse, Denise McCausland said: ‘We’ve been caring for Fern, Alex and Glen around the clock since they arrived and it was touch-and-go whether any of the puppies would survive.
‘As a veterinary nurse, I know just how important it is that they get enough fluids for both nourishment and hydration and also that they expel frequently and easily. Too much or too little and the situation can change for the worse really really quickly. During that first night, I hand-fed them milk by syringe nearly every hour. ‘The puppies were weighed every few hours to check their gums for colour and that their little bellies were comfortably full and stretched. If their skin is too loose, their gums discoloured or their urine too dark, we would need to intervene immediately.’
Ms McCausland added: ‘I really didn’t rest more than 15 minutes at a time for those first few nights. They were placed under a heat lamp to keep them warm and a ticking clock helped calm them when they cried for their mum. It was just so heartbreaking.
‘They were also suffering from the shock and stress of suddenly being orphaned. Now they have almost doubled in weight and are starting to behave like puppies should. It is wonderful that they have all survived and are now able to comfort each other after such a terrible start in life,’ she said.
‘It breaks my heart to tell you these rescue cases aren’t one-offs. We are continuously responding to calls about animal cruelty, neglect and abuse made to our National Animal Cruelty Helpline.
‘It takes, on average, 54 days of rehabilitation and care before we can responsibly rehome them and looking after an animal for this long, takes time and money.’