Pregnant dog abandoned in alley found carrying dead puppy

An abandoned pregnant dog was found covered in so much of her own poo the RSPCA couldn’t tell what colour she was.

The dog, who has been named Florence, had a closed eye when she was discovered and a cut to her face.

She was left in a filthy wet crate wrapped in plastic, which had no bedding and was filled with faeces.

Her makeshift home was discovered on Sunday night in an alleyway near Florence Road, in Finsbury Park, north London.

Vets at the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital found a dead puppy inside her ruptured uterus.

Emergency surgery was needed to save Florence’s life.

If Florence was left any longer she would soon have died a ‘horrible death’, the RSPCA said.

‘Poor Florence has been through a heartbreaking ordeal, but despite it all she has still been friendly, even though she is so poorly,’ a hospital spokesperson said.

‘When she came into us we did an ultrasound that showed the presence of a dead foetus in her uterus.

‘Sadly it is most likely she was having difficulty giving birth when she was abandoned.

‘If she had been seen by a vet sooner they could have intervened and maybe helped and saved her pup.

‘There was also a superficial wound on her face which has been treated.

‘She is currently recovering on fluids and medications but is still in a serious condition.’

RSPCA officer Nicola Thomas said Florence’s situation was both heartbreaking and tragic.

‘I would like to thank the member of the public who contacted us after finding poor Florence in the alleyway,’ she said. ‘They kept her safe until I arrived to collect her.

‘When I first picked her up she was covered from head to toe in faeces and smelled so awful.

‘You couldn’t actually tell what colour she was meant to be.

‘Dumping a dog for any reason is heartbreaking, but to think that this poor girl was so poorly and also in the midst of labour is just tragic.’

She added: ‘It is also clear that Florence has had numerous puppies in the past and was probably a breeding dog, so therefore if anyone thinks they have had a puppy from her we would also urge them to get in touch.’

Anyone who recognises Florence can contact the RSPCA immediately on our inspector’s appeal line number on 0300 123 8018.