Puppy found frozen to death in rabbit hutch

1:31pm Friday 26th January 2007

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A puppy froze to death after it was dumped in the street chained inside a rabbit hutch.

The RSPCA inspector who was called to Shearer Way, Pendlebury, said it was the worst incident of cruelty he had witnessed in his career.

Ben Strangwood said the abandonment of the tan, terrier-type dog, thought to be about six months old, was "callous".

"It was bitterly cold and there were no other indications of injury, so the puppy probably froze to death," he said.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it - it's probably the worst thing I have seen since becoming an inspector.

"This was a callous and cruel act. The people who did it put a chain around its neck and attached it to the hutch, so thought has gone into it.

"If you no longer want to keep a dog, this is not the way to go about it. There is help available from organisations such as the RSPCA. To leave an animal to die is appalling."

It is an offence to abandon an animal in a manner likely to cause suffering. The offence carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and or a £5,000 fine, or both.

Anyone with information about the puppy, which was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, should call the RSPCA on 0870 5555 999. Calls are treated in confidence.