Seven young dogs were abandoned in a Delta park Friday and are alive today only because of their rescue by the Delta Animal Shelter.
Someone left the seven malti-poos, varying in age, in Dow Park, at River and Huston Roads in Delta.
Sarah Lowe, manager of the Delta Animal Shelter, said the pups were in terrible condition when they arrived.
"We believe that they are somebody's breeding stock," Lowe said.
While she doesn't believe they were out in the park long, they had been kept in crates for some time, and show stains from their own urine and feces.
"It's cruelty to abandon these animals, which have probably been living in cages," Lowe said. "Our investigation on how they got there is still ongoing."
The shelter will care for them for a while, then adopt them out.
Lowe warns that the pups have not been trained and will need a lot of tender loving care and socialization. But they will make great pets in given the right environment.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the dogs can visit the shelter's website at www.deltacommunityanimalshelter.ca