Newborn puppy dies after being ‘thrown from a car’

A newborn puppy has died after apparently being thrown from a moving car.

The terrier puppy named Puzzle was found squealing in distress in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, on Friday night by a passerby who wrapped her in a jacket and took her home before calling the RSPCA.

The 83g puppy had a cut on her head and some scuffs on her nose, as well as a cleft palate.

Puzzle died in her sleep on Tuesday night.

RSPCA inspector Natalie Kitchin, who is investigating what happened to the brown and white puppy, said: “Poor Puzzle was so tiny, weighing just 83g (2.9oz), and her eyes were still closed. We believe she’s only a few days old.

“Due to where she was found and her injuries, they (vets) believe she’d been thrown from a moving vehicle.

“It’s shocking to think that somebody could take her away from her mother just a few days after she was born and chuck her out of a car onto the road like a bit of rubbish.”

Ms Kitchin said she believed Puzzle may have been abandoned due to being born with a cleft palate, a split in the top lip and roof of the mouth.

“It’s a birth defect and can affect the way a puppy feeds so she may have been struggling to feed from her mum,” she added.

“We fear that her owners may have abandoned her instead of seeking veterinary treatment due to the costs associated with any corrective surgery.”

Ms Kitchin urged people to come forward if they recognise the puppy or have any information.

“As well as being an incredibly irresponsible and cruel thing to do to this poor pup, I’m also incredibly worried about her mum and her other littermates, and their welfare,” she said.

In 2023, the RSPCA responded to 20,999 reports of animals being abandoned, surpassing the numbers from 2022, 2021, and 2020.

Anyone with information should contact the RSPCA appeal line at 0300 123 8018, quoting reference number 1245732.