Four-week-old puppies found inside plastic bag among DogsTrust cases last year 

Six-week-old puppies Faith and Hope were abandoned with their siblings in a plastic bag when they were just four-weeks-old. Sadly, despite the charity’s best efforts, they were the only two of the litter of puppies to survive. Picture: Fran Veale 

Four-week-old puppies left for dead inside a plastic bag were among the cases rescued by DogsTrust throughout 2023.

The animal welfare charity received a “record number” of surrender requests in 2023, with fears these numbers will continue to rise in the new year.

The six siblings were found by a member of the public in Dublin, who was “shocked” to discover the soaking wet bag housing the animals. Two of the puppies were already dead by the time they had been found.

The veterinary team at Dogs Trust did their utmost to treat the puppies but given their age and the condition they arrived in only two of the remaining four survived.

Six-week-old puppies Faith and Hope at Dogs Trust Ireland.

Dogs Trust Ireland veterinary and welfare manager Niamh Curran-Kelly said these cases are “incredibly upsetting” for all involved.

“At just four weeks old, puppies are still heavily dependent on their mother and wouldn’t be fully weaned yet. They were far too young to be separated from her, let alone to have been left outside in the cold and rain.”

“Despite receiving the very best care, we were saddened that only two of the puppies have survived this ordeal. Thankfully, these two little fighters are thriving, and both have recently been adopted,” she added.

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In a bid to highlight the abandoned dog crisis in Ireland, Dogs Trust launched the ‘Save the Next Dog’ campaign last November following an influx of surrender requests in 2023.

The charity had almost 4,000 requests from those seeking to relinquish a dog into their care in 2023 alone, marking the highest volume of requests since the company opened its doors back in 2009.

The campaign called for added voluntary donations to allow the company to "meet the scale of the crisis".

The charity's regional rehoming manager Eimear Cassidy said: “We are being contacted by dog pounds and other welfare organisations around the country, as well as members of the public, asking us to take dogs. 

"Everyone involved in dog welfare is trying their very best to help as many dogs as possible but the sheer number of dogs who have nowhere to go is overwhelming.”