The SSPCA have launched a probe after three dead puppies were discovered within a box in a Rutherglen field.
The bodies of the three tiny pups were found by a local woman inside a shoebox on grasslands in Fernhill on Wednesday.
The horrified woman, who asked not to be named, thought the dogs had been abandoned and quickly rushed to their aid. But, she told the Daily Record, she was left traumatised when she saw the "defenceless" black pups lying dead in the grass.
She added: "I saw someone post on Facebook about finding them, so I asked where they were, and was there within five minutes. I wanted to check if there were any more and if there was anything I could do to help.
"I found three of them lying alongside blood-soaked puppy pads, a blood-soaked T-shirt and a ripped-up box." She added: "They're just defensive little babies.
"I'm traumatised by it. My heart is so hurt right now for them."
The woman said she quickly called the police and the SSPCA, before burying the animals in a shallow grave, close to where she found them.
After posting about the grim discovery on her own Facebook, the woman said she had been told that the puppies had been stillborn and were buried in the box in the field.
She added: "The person said six puppies died and they had been buried in a shoe box but the box was totally clean and six puppies would not have fit in it.
"I reported it to the SSPCA and they are going to collect them today."
The SSPCA confirmed to the Record that they are investigating the incident.
A spokesperson for the SSPCA said: "As such, it’s still an ongoing investigation at the moment and we wouldn’t be able to comment."
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