The RSPCA is appealing for information after the bodies of six puppies were found dumped in Bretton Woods, Peterborough, on Tuesday, March 17. The puppies had been put into two training shoe boxes and left in the woodland behind the rugby club in Bretton.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after the bodies of six puppies were found dumped in Bretton Woods, Peterborough, on Tuesday, March 17.

The puppies had been put into two training shoe boxes and left in the woodland behind the rugby club in Bretton. They were discovered at 9.30am and had probably been put there during the night or in the early hours of the morning.

The dogs are thought to be boxer-type breeds and were aged just one or two days old. The vet who examined them believes two of the dogs were stillborn and another died shortly after birth. The other three puppies died later, probably after being left somewhere in the cold. One of them even had some of his mother's milk still in his mouth, showing that he had fed at least once.

The puppies had cotton tied around their tails, an amateur way of docking tails. Docking for cosmetic purposes is illegal and anyone found guilty of this faces a maximum six-month prison sentence and/or a �20,000 fine.

Two of the puppies were white, another was mostly white with brown ears and the others were brindle and white. Three were in a red trainer box (size eight) and the others were in a brown Air Max trainer box (size nine).

RSPCA inspector Kat Parfitt said: "To dump such tiny defenceless animals is abhorrent. We wondered if the white ones were dumped as white is not a breed standard accepted for competitions. However, even if this was the reason, it is not an excuse and those responsible for this need to be brought to book.

"What makes it worse is the attempted tail docking which owners need to realise is now illegal for those dogs without working certificates."

Anyone with information about this incident, or anyone who knows who owns the puppies' mother, should contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 1234 999.