by Angela Cole

acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

A dog on the verge of giving birth was dumped in a sealed cardboard box and left to die in woodland.

The young female Jack Russell, which was having difficulty giving birth, was discovered by a passer-by in woods in Penenden Heath, Maidstone.

The RSPCA was called and the dog had an emergency caesarean at Newnham Court vets, in Bearsted Road, Maidstone. Her puppy did not survive.

"It is very difficult to know how long she was sealed up in the box but she was very ill when we found her," said animal welfare officer Kelly Feeley.

"It was an unbelievably cruel thing to do. She must have been terrified as well as very sick."

Daphne Harris, chairman of RSPCA Tunbridge Wells & Maidstone branch, which paid half the dog's vet bills, said: "This is a really shocking case of animal cruelty.

"The owner of this dog dumped her in the woods and left her to die, slowly and painfully.

"There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour and I would ask that if any member of the public knows who was responsible for this that they let us know."

Staff have called her Daisy, and she is now being cared for at the RSPCA centre in Leybourne, where she is making a good recovery.

The Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone branch of the RSPCA helped fund her emergency treatment.

Anyone who has any information about the incident, which happened on Sunday, October 10, should call the RSPCA on 0300 123 4999, Daphne on 01622 891 222 or Katie on 07595 997 674.