Teenagers caught abusing puppies in Rochdale, Greater Manchester
A group of 10 teenagers were disturbed by a woman, Melanie Johnson, in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, as they were abusing two defenceless puppies near a canal. The youths were throwing the puppies into a bonfire they had created, causing the two puppies immense distress.
The woman chased the thugs away and rescued the two puppies, who have been named Guy and Cinders, before taking them to the RSPCA for help.
Jean Spencer is a member of the RSPCA in Rochdale, she stated:
A member of the public saw what was happening and chased the boys away and rescued both the pups and brought them to us.
They had a small bonfire going and as she walked over towards them she could hear Guy yelping. She went running over, they dropped the puppies and ran off.
She also said that one of the puppies, Guy, has a hernia and heart murmur, but they may not have been as a result of being thrown in the fire. The other puppy, named Cinders, has scorch marks on her head from where she had been thrown through the flames of the fire.
Apparently the two puppies were withdrawn when they were brought in last Friday, but have become more open during the week.
Alison Wilkinson from the RSPCA stated:
The RSPCA is investigating this incident and wants to hear from anyone who has any specific information about what happened as soon as possible.
The woman who saved the puppies from the gang of youths was thirty-two-year-old Melanie Johnson. She was horrified by what she saw from the gang.
I just could not believe the cruelty being shown by these kids. If I hadn’t turned up, I think they would have burned the dogs alive.
I heard yelping and saw a group of children standing around a small bonfire. I ran over the bridge to them and saw one of the pups being kicked and the other being held over the fire.
Most of the kids were aged 12, 13 or older. But some were as young at 10.
The RSPCA’s Jean Spencer, manager at the RSPCA centre in Rochdale, said that the puppies would make a full recovery and should be re-homed soon.
The puppies are absolutely gorgeous. Everyone here has fallen in love with them. They will stay here with us for just a few days before going to our RSPCA centre in Halifax, where staff will get them re-homed.
