Dogs dumped in Hampshire countryside were a litter and their mother

Today the Echo have been told they are on the road to recovery.

The dogs that were horrifically dumped in the Hampshire countryside are being nursed back to health with the help of dedicated vets.

• CLICK here for the latest pictures of the dumped dogs

Nine animals were abandoned in such a state they could not stand, walk or see, in what thousands of people have called an act of "extreme cruelty".

This afternoon the Daily Echo visited four of the dogs, which were unrecognisable from the first pictures.

One dog, named Martha, had nine kilos of fur removed, which had matted together with mud and debris.

It is believed the dogs are a litter of eight one-year-old puppies, with their eight-year-old mother.

RSPCA inspectors have confirmed they are poodle-crosses.

It took three hours per dog to clip the hair, and the city council's senior animal welfare officer, Dave Griffiths, praised local vets for all of their help.

He said: "We get about 150-200 strays a year, but this is exceptional for us.

"They look so different from when they first came in.

"I believe they have been kept in some sort of shared house or outside area somewhere muddy. I suspect they have been there for their whole lives."

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  He said there are currently no leads into who is responsible, but the council, police and RSPCA are working together to track them down.

  Some of the dogs have been given names including Sian, who vets originally named Shaun, Faye, Martha, Justine, Wills and Kate.

  The other four dogs are still being treated.

  A council spokesperson said if there is "enough evidence" the council "will prosecute" those responsible.