Dying teacup Yorkie dumped in alley wrapped in towel
Some days I could really weep. Today is one of them as I’m overwhelmed by anger, sadness, frustration and more. Following my blog yesterday where I wrote about the ills of breeding teacup puppies this dreaful news hits my inbox. When I write about anything, I do it because I want to make some kind of difference, to dogs like this poor mite. And his parents. And all the others who are forced by human greed to exist in a world of such nastiness. But sometimes it feels so little.
The RSPCA launched an investigation after a dying puppy was dumped, wrapped in a towel, in an alleyway in South Yorkshire. The dying teacup Yorkie pup – thought to have been between 14 and 18-weeks-old – was found by a local man on Monday night (17 July) wrapped up in a dark blue towel and dumped in Church Road, Stainforth, just outside Doncaster.
RSPCA inspector Keira Benham rushed to the dying teacup Yorkie and took him to a nearby vet for immediate treatment.
“The little pup was collapsed and unresponsive,” inspector Benham said. “He was soaking wet, struggling to breathe and couldn’t stand. The poor little thing was very weak and was covered in fly eggs. He was barely alive when I got to him but I took him straight to the vets. Sadly, he was having fits and vets said it was down to a neurological condition so they decided that the kindest thing to do was end his suffering and put him to sleep.”
The little black and tan dog had no microchip and no collar or ID.
The RSPCA believe he was a ‘teacup’ Yorkie – an extremely small Yorkshire terrier, bred to be miniature in a bid to make them more attractive to potential buyers and, therefore, more expensive – but was dumped due to his neurological problems and health complications.
“This innocent and vulnerable dog had health complications which would require considerable – and costly – veterinary treatment. It’s a sad reality that we see animals dumped like this simply because their owners don’t want to pay,” inspector Benham said.
“The poor little thing needed urgent, specialist treatment but – instead of ensuring he saw a vet and was given every chance to overcome his health problems – he was dumped, like a piece of rubbish, and left to die alone and frightened.
“We have launched an investigation and I’d be keen to hear from anyone who may know where this little pup came from or who saw anything suspicious in the area. Anyone with information that could help our investigation should call 0300 123 8018 and leave me a message.”
The RSPCA has serious concerns about the way many dogs, like so-called ‘teacup’ dogs, are selectively bred to look a certain way.
The charity’s dog welfare expert, Lisa Richards, explained: “Selectively breeding dogs to have exaggerated physical features – such as extremely small body size – can cause serious health and welfare problems, and may have been the cause of this poor dog’s neurological problems.
“Teacup dogs can also suffer from problems as a direct result of being so small. For example, their bones are very vulnerable to stress fractures and they are at risk of painful fractures from minimal trauma such as jumping; they can suffer from dislocation of the kneecap, leading to pain and lameness; and can also suffer from respiratory problems that can severely limit their ability to run and exercise.”

Photo source: RSPCA
Please, please, please tell everyone you hear about who is thinking about buying a puppy, especially a ‘teacup’ puppy that the puppy industry is chock-full of people who do this kind of thing to dogs and put money before everything. By us all speaking up we might just make things better for the dogs. Staying silent is complicity.