Aussie dad and sons make shocking roadside discovery while travelling 100km/h
Erin Stevens, who was taking his boys to 'vacation care' on the last day of the school holidays, told Yahoo News he initially brushed off the unusual sight as 'nothing', but as he got closer, he realised something was very wrong.
Travelling at about 100km/h on Umbiram Road, roughly 20km outside of Toowoomba in Queensland, the dad said he 'hit the brakes' and chucked a U-turn after spotting a cardboard box nestled in long grass.
Moments after he came to stop, Erin started filming as he and his sons darted across the empty road to investigate what was moving around inside. Video footage, which has since gone viral, shows the kids looking through the box and pulling out a total of four 'pretty emaciated' five-week-old puppies.
'Has it fallen off a ute?' Erin says. 'No, it looks like it's dumped,' one of the boys responds.
Aussie dad, sons save puppies dumped in taped cardboard box
Erin told Yahoo it appeared that one of the dogs had chewed through the corner of the taped box, creating a hole just large enough for it to escape.
'One of them had got out of the box, but as soon as we pulled up, they sort of ran back in,' he said. 'And then as soon as the boys were there, they were all sooking and jumped out, and the boys nursed them on the way home.'
Over the next few days, each of Erin's four sons cared for a puppy each. The dogs, all of which weighed less than 2kg, were also taken to a nearby vet to get vaccinated and microchipped.
'Who leaves a box of pups on the side of the road? We've got a council depot in town for animals, we've got the RSPCA, [and] a couple of venues in town that you could easily leave the pups at. So, yeah, puzzling welfare concepts there,' the dad told Yahoo.
While it's unclear exactly how long the puppies had been in the box, Erin said it didn't look like they had been there overnight given they had not urinated or defecated inside. He believes he spotted the puppies less than an hour after they had been dumped.
'The box was kind of concealed in the long grass. If it wasn't for the movement, there's just no way you would have seen it,' Erin added. 'They happened to break out just as we were heading out.'
Abandoned puppies 'thriving' after being adopted
After posting the footage online, Erin said he was inundated with offers to help. Despite his sons' pleas to keep all four puppies, three were adopted out to family members and close friends. 'We have added the last one to our family for my boys to raise, a great little pup.'
The condition of the puppies has since improved greatly. 'They've all bounced back with food in their belly, worming and a bit of care, and they're thriving.'
In Queensland, anyone caught deliberately dumping an unwanted animal at the roadside or in the bush faces a maximum penalty of $50,070 or one year in prison.
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Puppy dumpings on the rise across Australia
Yahoo News has reported on countless incidents of puppy dumpings, including dogs being ditched in bushland in Sydney's west, a box crammed full of newborns left in the blistering heat in a park and more found by the side of a road in Perth.
In June, three 10-week-old puppies suffering from a severe skin condition were left in a car park in Adelaide, sparking an urgent appeal from authorities.
There has been an increase in animal dumpings in recent years, and animal welfare advocate Sarah Rose — who found the dogs in Sydney last year — believes both backyard breeding and irresponsible pet ownership is driving the issue.
'People need to understand before they purchase a dog in particular, there are long-term responsibilities that come with pet ownership, even if their circumstances change,' she told Yahoo previously.
'There is an animal welfare crisis and epidemic occurring with our companion dogs. It's an absolute disgrace. Backyard breeding must be outlawed, it is contributing to countless dogs being dumped.'
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