
Dumped on a roadside, they were caked in mud and with fur so matted they could not see.

These two dogs were among nine – eight poodle-crossbreed puppies and their mother – abandoned in locations around Winchester, Hampshire, and struggling to stand under the weight of their own coats.

It took rescuers around three hours to shave each dog, and so terrified were the animals of being touched that vets fear they may have been beaten by their owners.

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Nine abandoned dogs have been found in such an appalling condition that the RSPCA struggled to identify what breed they are

RSPCA investigators and a local dog warden took the dogs into their care as they tried to confirm what breeds they were. But now, after a trim, they have been revealed to be poodles

Matt Southcott, 50, a construction worker from Upham, was one of the horrified residents who raised the alarm after seeing what looked like a bundle of rags at the side of the road as he drove to work.

He found two animals stuck in brambles, and said: ‘I couldn’t tell if they were sheep or dogs. You couldn’t see their faces. They looked so badly matted and injured. I have never seen an animal in that state.’

The puppies, aged around one, have been given the names Fay, Mavis, Martha, Justin, Wills, Kate, Maria and Dave by rescuers. Their mother, thought to be aged eight, has been called Sian.

Vet Martha Edwards said Sian had to be sedated while her fur was cut off, adding: ‘She had stones trapped between her paw pads which had obviously been there for some time. It is disgusting. I have never seen a dog in this condition before.’ An animal welfare expert said yesterday it was likely the nine dogs had been kept in ‘unlivable’ conditions for their whole lives before being ditched ‘with no concern for their welfare’.

The harrowing pictures show the dogs lying on the floor on top of each other, looking like a bundle of rags. Their thick hair is covered in mud and matted so much they were unable to stand properly so were slumped on the ground

The mother, eight-years-old, has been named Sian and the others have been named: Mavis, Martha, Fay, Justin, Wills, Kate, Maria and Dave. The dogs are being looked after at a Hampshire Kennels. Pictured is RSPCA Inspector Jan Edwards holding Fay

All of the poodles, which are worth up to £500 each, had to be shaved by vets, who found that each animal weighed a staggering 12 kilograms - almost half of what their whole body weight should be. Each dog took around three hours to shave

Animal Welfare officer at Winchester City Council, May Carrington, looks after Sian, the mother of the rest of the puppies

The council has seized legal control of the animals while a new home for them is found and they are nursed back to health

The matted and filthy hair which was shaved from the dogs was enough to fill three large sacks, the RSPCA said

Dave Griffiths, Winchester City Council’s senior animal welfare officer, added: ‘They were terrified. The standard poodle of this size weighs about 25kg (4st) and when we clipped their coat the fur weighed 12kg (2st).’

An investigation is now under way and police, the RSPCA and council chiefs are appealing for help to find those responsible.

A council spokesman said: ‘The dogs were abandoned on Tuesday evening. We are keen to hear from anyone who heard or saw anything. All the dogs belong to the same litter and we believe there was just one owner.’