Police heartbroken as they find 18 neglected puppies in 'the worst condition ever seen'

Police officers were left shocked and devastated by the horrendous state of 18 dogs and puppies found in a suspicious van they happened to stop on the road.

Luckily, the pooches were rescued from their abusers and handed to the RSPCA.

‘It was probably the worst conditions they’d ever seen dogs kept in’

Leicestershire & Rutland Rural Policing Team in England got suspicious after spotting a 'grubby white van' in the south of the county earlier this week and decided to inspect it.

The driver was ‘reluctant’ to stop but as it pulled over and the content of the vehicle was checked, the force couldn’t believe their eyes.

First, they saw two dogs in front with the driver and then discovered another 16 in the back, caged up and in what the officers described as a ‘staggeringly poor state’.

It turned out, the driver had an active Animal Disqualification Order preventing them from keeping pets until 2025. They were ‘instantly arrested and taken directly to the cells’.

Read more:

⋙ Heartbreak as these tiny helpless dogs could barely see when they were dumped in a field

⋙ Nearly a hundred starving and abused dogs were rescued from a single house

Some pictures were too upsetting to share

The force shared disturbing images showing some of the poorly dogs and puppies inhorrendous conditions. According to the officers, they faced ‘the worst case of its type that they had seen’.

They wrote on Facebook:

The crew dealing with this incident yesterday have well over 40 years of policing experience collectively. They agreed that it was probably the worst condition they’d ever seen dogs kept in. The pictures really don’t do this justice and the stench was eye-watering.

The dogs had no food or water and needed urgent care. The force then contacted the RSPCA whose officers removed the pups from the van and rushed them to the vet.

The case is now being investigated by the animal welfare charity.

Police officers commented:

Safe to say - whilst this was a particularly horrendous incident resulting in numerous police resources - there was a sense of relief knowing that the dogs would get the care they desperately needed with an approved vet and the suspect would be dealt with.

They underlined that not all the images could be shared on social media because 'they are just too sensitive’.

Read more:

⋙ Heartbreak over 17 puppies found living ‘on top of each other’ in horrendous conditions

⋙ Heartbreak as dying puppies were dumped on a playground for children to play with

Sources used:

- Leicestershire Live: 'Heart-breaking pictures show 18 dogs found in back of van in a 'staggeringly poor state''