The SPCA is chasing possible leads after a litter of five-week-old puppies was callously dumped in a rubbish bin on a hot day and left to die.
The nine staffordshire bull terrier or mastiff-cross puppies were found near Lake Dunstan, in Central Otago, and were lucky to be discovered by a jetskier. If not found, they would have slowly died from the heat, dehydration or starvation.
"I have really struggled with this. I have found it very difficult to cope with," said SPCA inspector Helen Saunders. "To me, I cannot understand how anybody could have that on their conscience."
The owner is being sought, and the SPCA warns that a prosecution could follow with potential charges carrying maximum penalties of 12 months' imprisonment or a $50,000 fine.
"Nine puppies are a challenge - there's a lot of feeding involved, a lot of care involved, they are noisy, they are messy. And I think sometimes people feel they don't know what to do," Mrs Saunders said.
