Trapped puppies rescued from stormwater drain in WA’s Mid West

Meekatharra police rescued a litter of puppies this morning after finding out their mother had died.

A police spokesperson said officers were concerned the puppies would die of starvation and dehydration, as their mum was no longer there to look after them.

The six four-day-old puppies were born about 10 metres inside a storm drain that fed into a dry creek bed.

“It is believed that a young female dog gave birth to a litter of puppies on Monday and she was critically injured during the evening of Wednesday and died from her injuries,” a spokesperson said.

“An officer crawled through the drain that was about 60 centimetres wide and 40 centimetres high to reach the puppies.

“He was then pulled back through the drain by a strap that was tied around his ankle.”

The spokesperson said the puppies had since been fed and were resting.

“They are being cared for by Senior Constable Hall who works with local rescue group SAFE (Saving Animals From Euthanasia) who have a regional base in Newman,” she said.

“The puppies require bottle feeding every four hours.

“Senior Constable Hall has rescued over 100 dogs, puppies, cats and joeys in the last 12 months.”