Three puppies who were found abandoned and skinny in a plastic box are now "thriving".

The three Yorkie cross dogs – Peter, Flopsy and Mopsy – were found in Spade Lane, Sittingbourne.

They are believed to be around six weeks old, and described as "smelly" with a skin disease.

They have since all been to the vets, been given medication to combat the mange and have all been wormed. Each of the dogs is making good progress

After being found by an officer on duty, who said that they would have died if they were not collected, they were taken in by Billy and Kelly who run KareBear kennels day care and doggy holidays, based in Lidsing near Hempstead.

They are being monitored closely to ensure they are getting the attention they need, and will be staying with Billy and Kelly for the foreseeable future.

If you are interested in donating towards ongoing care for the dogs, please contact Karebear Kennels on 01634 233624.

Swale Borough Council Stray Dog Service said: "We'd like to take this time to thank our on-call officer for handling such a sad case with both care and empathy.

"Cases like this can have a psychological impact, especially when you're an animal lover. Though we're overjoyed that the pups are okay, no one looks forward to these kinds of calls."

If you have any information on the owner or who has dumped the puppies, please call 01795 417850.