Eleven dead newborn puppies found by roadside

The bodies of 11 newborn puppies were found on the side of a road.

The RSPCA said many of the grey puppies still had their umbilical cords attached and their bodies "were strewn along a grass verge" in the village of Hoe, near Dereham, in Norfolk earlier this month.

The puppies were fairly large and thought to be some kind of bull breed, the charity said.

They added that vets thought it was unlikely all would have been stillborn or have died from natural causes, but a cause of death could not be established.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "This was an incredibly distressing discovery for the member of the public who found these dead puppies.

"There are no injuries on the puppies, or obvious cause of death, but the circumstances in which they were found is suspicious."

The charity said it suspected the puppies may have been thrown from a moving vehicle, "given they were found randomly spaced along the verge and not all together".

The charity added it was also concerned for the welfare of the mother of the puppies, and officers were keen to find her.

The RSPCA appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

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