Sheffield dogs: Three puppies dumped in sealed box at front door of Thornberry Animal Sanctuary

Three puppies were reportedly dumped at the front door of a Sheffield animal charity last week.

Staff at Thornberry Animal Factory arrived at work on August 25 to find a cardboard box waiting for them.

They first thought someone had made an overnight donation - until the package started to move.

A staff member wrote on their Facebook page: "... as we opened the box, we were met with three beautiful balls of white fluff.

"We are not 100 per cent certain but we think they are around 7-8 weeks old and we believe they are Maltese puppies.

"We had no kennel space at the time but as always, we managed to have a move around and have found them a safe space where they are being cared for by our team."

It's far from the first time the team at Thornberry have had a sudden arrival on their front door. In October 2022 a dog was 'tied up and 'dumped' at their premises, and was later reunited with their owner who saw social media posts about the incident and claimed the animal had been "staying with a friend of a friend".

Staff said about the three puppies: "We do not judge whoever left them or their circumstances, and they are always better to be with us rather than left at the side of the road. However, it does prove more challenging not understanding their background or their current health condition and it also makes us wonder where the mother is.

"Although our kennels are full to bursting and all of our resources are stretched, we are always committed to being here for dogs like these. Sadly, this is not a one off and we are seeing more and more dogs and other animals coming into rescue - many of whom have medical conditions that need treating."

The sanctuary is now asking for donations to help give the pups the best start they can get through their charity's website.

Thornberry Animal Sanctuary cares for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other animals in need of a home.

It tries to find forever homes for the animals through adoptions.

All visits to Thornberry are by appointment only to reduce any stress on the animals in their day-to-day life. If you’re interested in any of the adorable dogs below, simply visit Thornberry’s website and fill out an animal enquiry form.