A dead newborn puppy was found dumped in a shoebox at a known County Durham fly-tipping spot.

The RSPCA has launched an investigation and says the puppy was “dumped like rubbish” in Seaham.

The grim discovery was made by a member of the public whilst walking past a pile of rubbish on a farm track off Seaton Lane last Sunday.

They spotted the cardboard shoebox on the grass verge the previous evening, but it wasn’t until they passed by the following morning that they discovered the body of the female puppy lying beside the box with the a towel which appeared to have blood stains on.

RSPCA Officer Helen Nedley
RSPCA Officer Helen Nedley

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Helen Nedley who is leading the investigation said: “This was an extremely distressing discovery for the person who found this puppy. The box was a black and white Adidas shoebox and the black and white puppy appears to be just days old. He also had a wound on his shoulder, but this is possibly caused by a wild animal who may have sniffed out the body overnight.

“It’s unclear at the moment if the poor puppy was already dead when dumped at this known fly-tipping site, and also where the mother dog is. Being separated from her puppy could be very distressing for her, so am very keen to hear from anyone who has any information. This is quite a large puppy considering it is a newborn, so it’s likely to be a larger breed, perhaps a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or bigger.

“Anyone with information can contact me in complete confidence through our inspector’s appeal line number on 0300 123 8018.”