'Don't just drive down a road and throw them out the door': Three puppy litters abandoned on rural roads raises concerns

Three different puppy litters were found scrambling on the sides of rural roads in Norfolk County and Brantford this week, leaving local animal rescue groups worried about the growing number of ditched dogs.

It was an unusual Tuesday morning commute for Trish Silverthorne after she came across four puppies abandoned on the side of a busy rural road in Brantford.

“I [had] to do something and there was no chance that I was just going to leave them,” Silverthorne said.

After rescuing the pups and trying to find their owners, she came up with no answers. But thanks to social media and her co-workers, they now all have a home.

“I know they’re all safe and they’re going to have good lives so it really worked out well for these puppies so in the end, it has a really happy ending,” Silverthorne said.

Trish Silverthorne said she rescued the pups while on her way to work. (Submitted/Trish Silverthorne)

On the same day and not too far away, three puppies of a different breed were found malnourished and full of worms on Gilkinson Street in Brantford. The three puppies found help from Hillside Kennels Animal Control in Innerkip where they have been treated and taken care of.

“They were starving when they came in and very wormy so they've been vaccinated and de-wormed and they were just huddled in a corner,” said Co-Owner of Hillside Kennels Tracey Gibson.

Hillside Kennels also became home to three more puppies and their mom Thursday after a driver found them on the side of the road.

Hillside Kennels became home to three more puppies and their mom Thursday after a driver found them on the side of the road. (CTV News/Hannah Schmidt)

Gibson doesn’t believe these three cases are related but says it is shocking to see a growing number of people abandoning their pets.

"Probably in the past year we've seen a lot more puppies being dumped but since COVID happened and then when everybody started going back to work, a lot of the adults are being dumped," Gibson said.

Animal Control Officer Cassia Bryden believes this sudden increase in unwanted pets is related to the rising cost of living with many people realizing they can’t afford the cost of owning a pet.

"We do try to work with people if they're in a tight financial spot and there's even pet food banks and things that people can reach out for and you just need to know where to look and ask the right question. Don't just drive down a road and throw them out the door,” Bryden said.

Hillside Kennels said there are currently about 25 dogs in their care waiting for adoption and encourages the community to visit and meet the dogs.