Puppies found in skip on their way to full health

Five puppies were found abandoned in a skip

A box of malnourished puppies found in a skip are well on their way to full health, according to an animal sanctuary.

They were taken in by the Forest of Dean Dog Rescue in Gloucestershire and have been recovering for the past two weeks.

Staff said they were unable to identify the puppies' breed, as they were dehydrated and malnourished, weighing in at 1kg (2.2lbs) each.

After receiving treatment at a nearby clinic, the puppies were said to be on the mend will be ready to be rehomed in the next few weeks.

The rescue centre are going to order DNA tests to identify the puppies' breed

Jen Cole, secretrary of Forest of Dean Dog and Rescue, said the puppies were "doing remarkably well."

"They're not out of the woods yet, they've still got a long way to go," she added.

"Rescues are really struggling and this is happening day in, day out," said Ms Coles.

She had urged people to consider if they had the time and finances to look after an animal before adopting.

The puppies were treated at Drybridge Veterinary Clinic

Two weeks ago, the animal shelter received a phone call from a man who turned up at work and found a box of puppies discarded in a skip.

They were taken to Drybridge Veterinary Clinic in Coleford for treatment.

"They worked tirelessly to work on them that day," said Ms Cole.

Two of the puppies had to be kept on drips and almost did not survive.

"They were really in a shocking way and I think if it had been a few more hours, I think we'd have lost at least two of them."

The rescue shelter hope to rehome the puppies soon

On Wednesday, the puppies were well enough to have their vaccinations and microchips.

A DNA test will be performed soon to identify the breed.

Ms Cole said they still needed a lot of support and would be taken into foster homes to help "develop their characters".

The rescue centre would start looking to home the puppies in the next few weeks, but had asked members of the public not to enquire about rehoming the puppies.