Litter of puppies found in shopping bag outside Hastings SPCA

Seven newborn puppies were lucky to be found after being dumped outside the Hastings SPCA. Photo / Supplied

While on a morning walk with two adult dogs, Hastings SPCA staff noticed a reusable shopping bag in the shrubs next to the centre's front gate.

As the SPCA staff members approached the gate Mac, a male dog, was persistently sniffing a bag half-hidden in the trees.

SPCA canine team leader Joanna Linley-Richardson, who was walking Mac, said when he wouldn't come out of the shrubs she went in.

There she found seven four-day-old puppies inside the shopping bag.

Joanna said no one is sure when the puppies were dropped off.

However, the canine team leader believes it was most likely the puppies were dumped that morning because they had been fed before being left.

The puppies were immediately taken into the SPCA centre to be fed and checked over - luckily, all were healthy.

All Seven pups have been placed in foster homes where they will stay until they are ready to be adopted. Photo / Supplied

"If it wasn't for Mac's persistence the puppies would have been missed for sure, and no one would have known until they started to decay," Joanna said.

"The bag was tucked right in a corner under some overgrown grass and branches," she said.

It's common for rubbish to be dumped on the road near the Hastings SPCA and Joanna said the reusable shopping bag looked as if the wind had blown it into the bush.

Fortunately, the puppies were brought indoors half an hour before Hastings had one of its heaviest hailstorms of the year.

"They would not have made it through that hailstorm if they were still outside," Joanna said.

Since being found, the seven pups have gone to three foster homes and are in safe hands.

The bag of puppies was dumped about 30m from the SPCA's front door, Joanna explained.

A litter of four-day-old puppies dumped in a shopping bag could have been missed where they were dumped in the grass and bush. Photo / Supplied

"If they had just come in and seen us we would have helped them," she said.

The Hastings centre would not only have taken the puppies, but would have offered more help for the mother dog.

Joanna said the SPCA often will take in the mum and pups while she is still feeding them and then give the mother back to the owners once the puppies reach an appropriate age to be separated from the mother dog.

The SPCA wants to spread awareness that if people need help with desexing, to "get in touch with us as we can help with desexing vouchers".