Dogs rescued from illegal puppy farms in Greater Manchester are now being cared for by the RSPCA branch which covers Huddersfield.

More than 70 dogs and puppies were crammed into filthy cages, coats knotted with old faeces and urine, and terrified of human interaction when they were rescued from properties in Radcliffe.

Nine of them are now in the care of RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford which is based in Calderdale.

Fay Gibbons from the branch said: “When the dogs arrived at the centre staff were immediately struck by the state they were in.

Their coats were heavily matted and stained with urine and many were trembling, unsure what to do. Despite their fear, the dogs allowed the team to provide care.”

After a brief settling-in period staff gently bathed and shaved each dog, washing away layers of neglect.

Among the rescued dogs now in Halifax are seven puppies believed to be cockerpoo, spaniel and terrier types, and two adult dogs, a terrier and a dachshund.

One little pup, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel called Gingerbread, remains in a separate isolation unit as he’s lost much of his coat and is being closely monitored by staff while he receives ongoing care.

People have been asked to donate towards the cost of caring for these nine dogs which is expected to be more than £2,500 to cover veterinary care, vaccinations, specialist food and ongoing rehabilitation.

The RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford is a local, independent, self-funded branch that receives no government or national funding. The charity is also in the process of rebuilding its animal centre.

For more information or to make a donation click here.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.