Two "severely emaciated" puppies who were found tied up and covered in urine outside a Vancouver Island home are recovering from their ordeal, said the BC SPCA.

The male terrier-cross puppies are only a few months old, said senior animal protection officer Tina Heary in a news release Monday. The "emaciated, filthy" pair were kept outside in the freezing cold with only a plastic doghouse as shelter. It was wet and muddy inside, with no insulation or bedding, she said.

The puppies were found huddled together, wet and shivering, outside a home near Ladysmith. There was no food or water near them.

“One of the puppies was so compromised he could only take a couple of steps before falling over. Both were extremely weak, weighing only two to three kilograms each," said Heary.