Newborn puppy ‘thrown from car’ in Surrey

She was thrown away "like a bit of rubbish"

Author: Greg DeanPublished 10th Apr 2024

A tiny puppy is recovering after being ‘thrown from a car’ at just a few days old.

The brown and white pup has been named Puzzle, and is now being hand-reared by the RSPCA.

A passerby found the tiny terrier squealing in distress on Burgoyne Road, Sunbury, on Friday the fifth of March.

They wrapped her up in their jacket and took her home, before calling the RSPCA.

Puzzle has a cleft pallet , and weighed just 83grams (2.9oz), when recused.

Her eyes were still closed at the time, suggesting her age to be less than a week old.

Puzzle suffered nasty cut on her head and scuffs on her nose.

Due to where she was found and the nature of her injuries, it is believed she’d been thrown from a moving vehicle.

RSPCA Inspector Natalie Kitchin has now launched an investigation into what happened.

She says that despite Puzzle’s awful ordeal, thankfully she wasn’t seriously injured:

“It’s shocking to think that somebody could take her away from her mother just a few days after she was born and chuck her out of a car onto the road like a bit of rubbish, she’s lucky to be alive.”

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the member of the public who heard her distressed cries and rescued her to take her to the vets, I’m sure they saved her life.”

“We believe Puzzle may have been abandoned because of her lip.”

“It’s a birth defect and can affect the way a puppy feeds so she may have been struggling to feed from her mum.

“We fear that her owners may have abandoned her instead of seeking veterinary treatment due to the costs associated with any corrective surgery.”

Fellow RSPCA Inspector Leanna Hone who is now hand-rearing Puzzle.

Although the cleft lip is impacting Puzzle’s feeding, Leanna has been successfully hand-feeding her.

She says that Puzzle is doing well and getting stronger every day:

“She’s feeding every two to three hours so it’s a full-time job taking care of her!

“Thankfully, the wounds on her head and nose are starting to heal so we’re relieved that she hasn’t suffered any serious damage.”

Inspector Kitchin is eager to hear from anyone who recognises Puzzle or who may have information about where she’s come from or who was responsible for dumping her:

“As well as being an incredibly irresponsible and cruel thing to do to this poor pup, I’m also incredibly worried about her mum and her other littermates, and their welfare.”

Anyone with information should contact the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 1245732.

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