Hassall told the Herald it was too early to say what the outcome for the puppies would be.
Animal shelter staff would be doing their best to try to find a good outcome, he said.
Hassall said the discovery came amid a time of huge pressure for animal management staff, as they’re having to deal with a significant increase in the city’s dog population following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Council officers have responded to more than 33,000 complaints about dogs and cared for 6600 that had been impounded in the last financial year.
The number of impounded dogs represented a 32 per cent increase on the previous financial year, Hassall said.
He urged dog owners struggling to look after their dogs to take “proactive measures” before their problems got worse.
“Get your dog desexed – that’s the only way we are going to get on top of this problem of having too many dogs in our region,” he said.
“This is the worst 24 hours we’ve ever had [for abandoned puppies]. Any behaviour involving animal abandonment is heartbreaking, and it places a huge toll on our animal management team, who are already working to capacity.
“Incidents like this are the last thing anyone wants to find when they turn up for work in the morning.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
