Dog rescuers find homes for 12 American Bulldog puppies abandoned with their mum

A litter of 12 young puppies and their mother now have a much brighter future ahead of them after being found abandoned.

The American Bulldog pups, and their two-year-old mum, were discovered at an empty property in Liverpool.

The building's landlord took the animals to a local vet for checks.

From there they were picked-up by a dog warden, and then placed in the care of the Dogs Trust.

Its staff looked after them and have now found "forever homes" for all of the puppies.

Georgina Lowery, Rehoming Centre Manager at Dogs Trust Merseyside, said: "Tara and her pups are real troopers as they have had such a tough start in life but have been doing so well in kennels.

"It’s always heart-breaking to see a mum and her young pups come to us like this, but when we hear the pitter and patter of tiny paws, we’re on hand to give them the TLC they deserve.

“It’s so unusual to have such a large litter come through and they’ve absolutely melted our heart.

"It’ll be hard to say goodbye to these little bundles of joy, but we’ll be safe in the knowledge that new owners will help them grow into large loveable dogs.”

The happy outcome for the American bulldogs comes just days after the RSPCA reported a 73% increase in puppies being abandoned last year.

For this breed specifically, it comes down to the way people see them.

Clare Rooney, from Dogs Trust, said: “A lot of people think American bulldogs are really fierce and used as attack dogs, something to be frightened of, it’s the same as any other breed.

"A lot of it comes down to how you treat them and how you raise them. But there are a lot of misconceptions that they’re dangerous dogs and something to be afraid of.”

The main problem many animal charities are facing at the moment however is breeders that are set on making profit.

In particular, dogs that are trending they are seen as more profitable.

A few years ago, it was french bulldogs but more recently it has been Dachsunds.

The trends are crucial for determining the prices - higher the demand, higher the price.