The puppies had been taken to a kennel in Loulé by a woman who wanted to hand them over, but was advised to take them to the municipal shelter as the São Francisco de Assis kennel was full.

Instead they were dumped on nearby wasteland, and found the next morning covered in frost and faeces.

However, the two-month-old puppies are now doing well and will be ready for re-homing in the next few weeks.

A formal complaint has been made again the woman to the GNR police.