Dog, 8 puppies found in 'absolutely deplorable' conditions at Riverview construction site

RIVERVIEW, Fla. - An entire litter of puppies and their mother are recovering at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay after being found Monday in 'absolutely deplorable' conditions at a Hillsborough County construction site. 

In a Tuesday social media post, the shelter said the eight puppies and their mom were in unstable condition, with two of the puppies in need of blood transfusions because of how anemic they were at the time they were rescued. The pups were no more than a month old.  

The shelter reported that on Monday afternoon, a construction worker showed up at a job in Riverview, only to find a mixed-breed, adult female dog and her eight starving puppies all stuffed inside a rusty metal crate. 

Image is courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. 

"There's no telling how long those poor dogs were there in the heat and rain," the shelter said in Tuesday's post, "since it was a Monday, and the site was closed for the weekend."

The construction worker brought the nine dogs to the shelter to get emergency help. Intake staff went right to work, describing the animals as being emaciated, starving, and full of parasites and fleas. 

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"We cannot imagine what these dogs have gone through," the Humane Society said, "but we're grateful they're in our care to be taken care of."

Image is courtesy of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. 

The shelter's social media post had gained well over 1,000 online reactions within 12 hours with scores of others leaving comments. Many users expressed anger at the cruelty and carelessness on display. Others thanked the construction worker who had the compassion to help the abandoned family. 

The pets likely will not be available for adoption for at least a few weeks given their condition and the age of the puppies. In the meantime, if you suspect an animal that's been abused or neglected, call or visit Hillsborough County Animal Control online.