Four tiny puppies managed to survive being tossed into a canal because the water was frozen over, the RSPCA said. Skip related content
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One of the puppies is bottle fed at the Sheffield animal rescue centre
The Rottweiler-type pups were put in a bin bag weighed down by a paving slab and dumped in a freezing canal in Sheffield.
But the puppies, only a few days old, managed to survive the "horrendous act of cruelty" because the ice held their weight.
The animals, black and tan in colour, were saved in the nick of time, before hypothermia set in.
A passing walker noticed the stricken pups in the canal near the Don Valley Stadium last Sunday and alerted the authorities.
Staff from the RSPCA Sheffield Animal Centre and the local fire service arrived at the scene and rescued the animals.
RSPCA chief inspector for South Yorkshire, Matt Bell, said: "This was a horrendous act of cruelty against four tiny puppies and we're urging anyone who can help us find the person responsible to get in touch.
"These puppies were treated in the most callous way, thrown into the river in a black bin liner weighted down with a paving slab. It was just fortunate that the ice held otherwise they'd have died.
"We're also very concerned for the welfare of the mother who will more than likely be full of milk and at risk of mastitis due to the puppies being suddenly removed.
