A man was out biking when he spotted a dog on the side of the road. The dog was nuzzling a plastic bag and had tears in its eyes. That’s when the man decided to see what was in the bag.
Paul Skinner and a friend were cycling along a road in Midville, Lincolnshire, England when they noticed a small spaniel dog on the side of the road that seemed to be crying as it laid next to a plastic bag. When Paul and his friend decided to take a closer look at the dog and the bag that she was nuzzling, they never expected to find something as heartbreaking or horrifying as what they did when they peered inside.
“I was out cycling with my friend at the time,” said Paul Skinner, who happens to be a Tory councilor for Boston Borough Council. “We spotted on the verge something that looked like a dead bird, but as we passed it, it moved,” Paul recalled, according to Daily Mail. “It was a small spaniel without a collar. We looked around in case anyone was in trouble. It was set back quite a long way from the road.”
Neither Paul or his friend were prepared for what was hidden inside of the bag. “The dog was on its own, sitting licking the contents of a fish and chips carrier bag,” Paul continued, according to Mirror. Although he initially believed that the bag contained a dead bird, to his shock and dismay, inside of the bag was her four dead puppies.
“The bag contained four dead pups. It was heartbreaking. She had tears in her eyes,” Paul said, recalling the troubling discovery. “I could not believe anybody could be so devoid of humanity to do something like this,” Paul added. When he attempted to take the mother away from her puppies, she resisted, according to the Independent.
They immediately called the police, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and a local greyhound sanctuary, who eventually came to rescue the dog. Once the veterinarians at the RSPCA took a look at the mother, they found her to be approximately three-years-old and named her Carly. The vet said she appeared to be in good health.
Mick Fern, Kennel manager at Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary, attempted to resuscitate the puppies but to no avail. “Sometimes a puppy can give the appearance of being dead, but can be revived if you can warm them up,” he explained. “Their mother was staying with them, come what may. It was a very sad scene,” added Fern, who also relayed that, after examining the puppies, the vet believes that the puppies were not only born alive but may have been alive when they were first dumped on the side of the road.
An investigation was initiated, and although Carly had a microchip, it only led back to the original breeder. “It is a terribly upsetting incident,” explained Inspector Becky Harper. “It looks like this little dog has been cruelly dumped along with her newborn pups.” However, she continued, “We would like to thank the cyclist who found the dog and raised the alarm and to Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary who got her to the vets.”
Although it can’t be said for certain that this dog was intentionally mistreated, we have to wonder how the newborn pups had gotten into a bag and left for dead in the cold. Unless an animal is attacking you, there’s no reason for them to be treated with anything other than kindness and respect. Luckily, the world still has people like Paul Skinner who are willing to take a second out of their busy day to help an animal in need. Although her puppies couldn’t be saved, at least Carly was given a second chance.