A group of labrador puppies found abandoned at the side of a road have been rescued and are now set for a career in the prison service.

The fox red pups were nursed back to health after being found dumped in a crate at the side of a dual carriageway in between Sittingbourne and Sheppey earlier this month.

Underweight and suffering from mange, six of the puppies made a full recovery but one – called Achilles- was found to be suffering from a mystery illness and later died.

Swale Borough Council’s Stray Dog Service posted a snap of the surviving litter on Facebook with the caption: ‘This may be the cutest picture we’ve posted all year, don’t the pups look fantastic?

‘They’ve just come back from their second vaccinations and are bright eyed and bushy tailed, a far cry from when we picked them up just a few weeks ago.

‘Now they’re almost back to full health, we’re finally able to share what their futures hold.

‘In a few weeks time, we’ll be saying a very teary goodbye as the pups move to foster homes, taking the first step in their careers as sniffer dogs for the prison service.’

‘We know that by making this choice we open ourselves up to negativity, as it isn’t what everyone deems to be a happy ending, but we’re overjoyed for our babies.

‘They’ll live their first year with foster families, getting to be puppies and mature a bit before starting their training. Any pups who don’t make the cut will be rehomed privately so really, everyone wins.

‘Just think, they’ve gone from being discarded like rubbish to having a future fighting crime, what an amazing turnaround.

‘Kelly and Billy have done a phenomenal job caring for the pups and we couldn’t be more grateful.

‘As always, thank you for your support.’

The pups are thought to be around 10 to 12-weeks-old and are not microchipped.

When they were first discovered around two weeks ago, staff at the Stray Dog Service said ‘they [had] wood chips in their faeces, which could suggest poor environment, poor diet or both’.

They added: ‘Puppies should be tiny whirlwinds full of confidence and energy, but these guys are so nervous.

‘Even with the crate door open, all of them were too frightened to move.

‘Their little claws are so sharp and long, we wonder if they’ve ever left the crate at all.

‘This is animal cruelty and outright neglect.

‘These pups didn’t ask to be born and they certainly didn’t deserve to be dumped like rubbish.

‘Sadly with the current pet crisis, we feel this is just the tip of the iceberg.’

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