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Pregnant dog abandoned in vacant lot while giving birth

Animal welfare officers are investigating a shocking case of cruelty where a dog was found abandoned in a vacant lot while she was in labor.

A witness had called police in the Ohio city of Toledo after seeing a car pull up and push the dog out from the passenger side, an officer told news outlet WTVG.

When officers arrived at the scene the dog had already given birth to two puppies but was in a great deal of pain due to considerable difficulties.

"She was looking terrible and in a lot of pain," officer Greg Rayot said.

"We gathered her in some towels and brought her back for an emergency c-section."

Dog who was abandoned while in labor feeds her four puppies while recovering.
The Toledo Area Humane is investigating a case of animal cruelty after a pregnant dog was abandoned while in labor. Source: WTVG

The vice-president of Toledo Area Humane Society, Kelly Sears, said it was obvious by both the smell and condition of the dog, who has since been named Elle, that she had begun giving birth 24 hours prior to her being found in the field.

The third puppy had become stuck and Elle had been in horrific pain for hours, Ms Sears said.

"She couldn't pass the next one, it was stuck in the canal because it was too big,” she said.

"She was probably abandoned because of that," the vice-president added.

"[Throughout] the whole labor process, she was in intense discomfort. Once the puppy was stuck, it was just nonstop, unbelievable pain."

Four newborn puppies drink from a mother dog who was abandoned while in labor.
Only four of Elle's puppies survived. Source: WTVG

Elle was rushed into surgery to have the rest of her puppies removed, but four of her puppies did not survive.

The mother dog and her four puppies are now on the road to recovery but Elle still remains very dehydrated and underweight.

Authorities meanwhile are trying to find the person responsible for abandoning the animal when she was in need of urgent medical assistance.

"Occasionally we will find dogs that are pregnant and abandoned, but rarely is one half way through giving birth to a litter," Toledo Area Humane Society president Stephen Heaven said.

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