The terrier-crosses were locked in a cage in a 'horrendous' condition outside the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Manawatu office in New Zealand.
Centre manager Katie Pedersen told Stuff NZ she was overcome with a ghastly smell when she discovered the dogs on Tuesday morning.
'There was no note, no call. There wasn't even a little water left for them. You'd think that would be the least you could do,' she said.
Manawatu SPCA general manager Danny Auger labelled the owners 'gutless' and said the dogs were clearly in pain.
'They were severely matted - and we're talking years of mats rather than weeks or months - to the point where the mats would be causing the dogs a lot of pain,' he said.
Mr Auger said he believed the dogs had been used in a 'backyard breeding' situation.
The matted fur on their hindquarters was full of caked feces and they explained that urine collects in the matted, feces-crusted fur. This creates more problems with moisture and infection with insects and open sores under the matted fur. Additionally, the animals are in constant pain from matted fur pulling itself out of their skin.
Anyone who remembers their mother trying to brush out knots or a piece of gum that got stuck in their hair when they were a child will recall how painful it was to remove them.
'Their teeth were in an extremely bad state - two of them had overshot jaws. This is often a sign of poor breeding or inter-breeding.
'It's something we have seen in the past when it comes to the backyard breeder-type situation.'
Auger urged anyone with information to contact the Palmerston North SPCA.
(Daily Mail - April 11, 2017)
