Owners of dogs dumped in an appalling condition in Hampshire urged to come forward

Those are the words of animal lovers in Hampshire as the hunt is stepped up to find the cruel owners who dumped nine dogs in appalling conditions.

They were found in the countryside unable to stand or see and horrified locals raised the alarm.

Now council chiefs, the RSPCA and police have ramped up their search to track down the owners.

Hundreds of heartfelt messages have been left on social media with people describing their condition as “horrendous”, “disgusting” and “vile”.

Local dogs groups are pleading for the owners to come forward.

A Kennel Club spokesperson said: “We are absolutely appalled to hear about the treatment and consequent abandonment of these dogs.

“We support the search to find their owners and call for them to be brought to justice.

"We firmly believe that the owners of these dogs should do the decent thing and come forward and take responsibility for these poorly treated animals.

“Dogs are known as man's best friend and should be treated as such.”

Two dogs were found in Longwood Dean Lane, Upham, three in Lower Baybridge Lane, near Owslebury, three in Morestead Road and one in Alresford yesterday.

Wardens and vets are unsure of their breed, but they are believed to be either Portuguese Water Dogs or poodle cross breeds.

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  Portuguese Water Dog breeder Karen Wilton, based in Winchester, said if the dogs are that breed it would take weeks of neglect for their fur to become so matted.

  “It's just hard to believe that anyone could treat their dogs like that,” she said.

  “No animal deserves to be treated in this way and those responsible need to be tracked down to find out how the dogs came to be in this state.”

  The animals are currently being cared for by the city council wardens. An update on their progress is expected later today.