Balding puppies 'dumped like rubbish' on roadside weeks before Christmas need jumpers to keep warm

The RSPCA is appealing for help to look after two puppies “dumped like rubbish” by the side of a road weeks before Christmas.

Holly and Ivy, 12-week-old lurchers, were cruelly abandoned on a cold, wet day alongside their mum Mistletoe.

Staff at RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre, in Chobham, Surrey, rescued the trio on November 27 and gave them suitably festive names.

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Deputy manager Liz Wood said: “These poor little dogs were dumped beside the road like rubbish, it’s disgusting. They’ve got a really bad case of mange and are practically bald which means they’d have been even more vulnerable to the cold and rain.

“Thankfully, someone spotted them and asked us for help and we were able to get them into our warm, dry kennels quickly.

“They’ll now stay with us over the Christmas period while we nurse them back to full health. Mum Mistletoe is doing well but the pups have still got a long way to go and it will take some time for their coats to grow back.”

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The dogs won’t be ready for adoption until the new year as they’re receiving treatment for mange.

Liz added: “Poor Holly and Ivy have lost a lot of their fur so we’re having to keep them snug and warm in special Christmas jumpers.”

The centre is asking for donations to help cover the cost of their care over Christmas and their continuing treatment.

“They’ll be staying with us over the festive period so if you’d like to donate any special chews, treats or toys to keep them - and our other residents - entertained then we’d be hugely grateful for any donations,” Liz said.

We all know that Christmas is a time of giving, and this winter the RSPCA expects to take in 10,000 animals in need of shelter, whilst it costs £670,000 to run an RSPCA centre for a year.

You can donate to their winter ‘Stock the Sleigh’ appeal here, and help Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe recover from their ordeal.