This is Tippy, the last surviving member of her litter after she and the other pups were left in a woodland with their umbilical cords still attached.
The puppies were just a few hours old when they were dumped by a callous owner.
The poor dogs, who are thought to be German Shepherds, were spotted by a passer-by in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, last month.
They were rescued by the RSPCA, who rushed them to the vets in a bid to save their lives, but sadly, only Tippy pulled through.
The other 10 pups all had congenital defects or serious infections and passed away over the following days.
Tippy survived three brushes with death caused by repeated infections, but it seems she’s thankfully now on the road to recovery.
RSPCA deputy chief inspector Sara Jordan – who helped rescue the pups and has been giving Tippy round-the-clock care – said: ‘The puppies required very intense care as they were completely reliant on us, as they would be their mother.
‘But sadly it seems they had some congenital defects or infections which meant despite everyone’s best efforts they could not survive.
‘The ray of light is Tippy seems to be doing so well, although it has been touch and go.
‘She almost died three times due to urinary infections but each time she was given immediate veterinary treatment and had the fight to pull through.
‘She is really gaining a personality now, and it was a relief when she opened her eyes at two weeks old.
‘She definitely sees me as her mum and is always very close to me and tries to talk to me especially if it is feeding time – or if she is complaining because it is too warm.
‘Initially, she had to be fed every 90 minutes so I was up in the night quite a lot and I had to take her everywhere with me to keep a very close eye on her. I juggled it with my work as an RSPCA inspector, so it was very tiring but absolutely worth all the effort as she is so adorable.’
Tippy, who’s now five weeks old, is still in Sara’s care, living with her and her seven dogs and six cats.
When she’s healthy enough, she’ll be able to find a forever home.
Meanwhile, the charity is still trying to find the culprit who dumped the fragile pups in the first place.
Sara said: ‘It is so callous to think these vulnerable puppies who were only a few hours old had been dumped like this.
‘I am concerned that their mother is out there and also may require veterinary attention.’
Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time or who knows a dog who recently gave birth but doesn’t have a litter to nurse can confidentially contact the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
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