Litter of labrador puppies found abandoned near Winchester

The puppies were found in the dark by the side of a footpath

A litter of puppies was found dumped by the side of a country footpath.

The first seven labradors were discovered by cyclists near Winchester last week. Another one was found several days later in the same spot.

Winchester City Council said it was "very rare" to find such a large number of abandoned puppies.

The three-month-old puppies are being cared for in boarding kennels in the city before being found permanent homes.

The puppies are being cared for in boarding kennels

Laurence Wilkes, who found the puppies while cycling with friends in the South Downs National Park, said: "We all had bright lights and saw these eyes and animals running about, and thought we'd better do something about it, so we tried to herd the puppies into one area."

He added: "They could have been run over if we hadn't ridden there that night."

The council's animal welfare officer Dave Griffiths said the animals were "cowering and looking very nervous" when they were taken into kennels.

"They were very thin and dirty, with bad stomachs and diarrhoea," he continued, adding: "It's noticeable how much weight they've put on in just a few days,"

He said: "It's very rare to have a large number dumped together, especially puppies, and especially in recent times when puppies have become quite valuable."

He added the council was not in a position to accept requests for the four males and four females, but added they would be passed to a rescue society for rehabilitation and assessment, before being permanently rehomed.