RSPCA: Appeal for information after body of ‘very skinny’ Jack Russell puppy found abandoned

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The RSPCA is seeking the public’s help as it tries to work out what happened to a “very skinny” Jack Russell puppy, whose body was found abandoned in a carrier bag.

Inspector Jack Taylor responded to a call from a dogwalker on Saturday (6 April) at around 1pm, who had found the dog's body on wasteland in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. It is believed the female pup, thought to be around eight weeks old, had been left there that same day - as her body was dry despite rainfall the night before.

The dog was in a blue Poundland carrier bag, on a brownfield site by Pitt Street - towards Windhill Avenue - in the market town, the animal welfare charity said. She appeared to be a Jack Russell, and was predominantly white with brown fur on her face, and black markings above her tail.

Inspector Taylor said the RSPCA was now urging anyone with information about the dog, or how it came to be there, to reach out. "This was a heartbreaking discovery for someone to make.

"The poor Jack Russell pup was very skinny, and we believe had been dumped earlier that day on 6 April on this wasteland in Mexborough,” he continued. "We don't know what happened to this pup - or if she was the poorly runt of a litter that had sadly died, but it's so sad to see her body just dumped on a brownfield site like this.”

Anyone with any information about where this pup may have come from, or what may have happened, is urged to contact the charity’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident number 01245971.

The RSPCA has recently launched a cost of living hub for any owners struggling with any costs associated with owning a pet, Inspector Taylor added. "Times are hard right now - but we'd always urge any animal owners grappling with costs to reach out for help. The RSPCA's cost of living hub has a wealth of resources to help pet owners struggling with all sorts of costs."

This latest case comes as the animal welfare charity says it is in the midst of an animal abandonment crisis - which it believes is linked to more and more people struggling to meet the cost of living. Abandonment calls at the charity recently reached a three-year high, and rescuers estimate some 20,000 animals were dumped throughout the course of 2023.