Esme noticed the young woman paying a lot of attention to one of her puppies. When the young woman asked Esme's owner how old they were, Esme was so sad.

They were just five-weeks old.

Too young to take from their mum. Too young to be alone.

But Esme's owner said they had to go. That it was Esme's fault because she had stopped feeding them.

Esme's owner didn't know that she was in so much pain and couldn't feed her pups.

It wasn't Esme's fault!

Did you know that there are countless numbers of dogs and puppies who end up homeless and abandoned every year?

Even worse, some are trapped in backyard breeding operations and used for profit—pumping out litter after litter for the financial gain of their owners.

When you make a donation to help animals in need, you're helping to rescue animals like Esme and her puppies from an unregistered breeder.

Esme had nine cute puppies. She didn't know it, but they had been advertised for sale online. One had already been sold and taken away. They were so young.

And Esme was also young—she wasn't even a year old yet!

Her owner told the young woman that Esme had stopped feeding them. They didn't know there might be a medical reason which meant she couldn't feed her pups.

And it meant that Esme was in terrible pain, too.

The young woman knew it didn't feel right—to take such young puppies away from their mum. But she was unsure of what to do right then. She paid the owner for one puppy and left as soon as she could.

And then she did something very courageous. She made the most important call in Esme's life—she reported what she had seen to the RSPCA Cruelty Hotline.

Would Esme and her seven remaining puppies finally get the help they needed?

An RSPCA Inspector went to the address where Esme and her puppies were being kept.

The Inspector noticed that Esme was quite skinny. Her puppies looked under-weight as well. And the Inspector could see Esme's nipples were swollen and red.

The RSPCA Inspector talked about Esme's condition with her owner. She told the owner that Esme needed to see a vet, especially if she had stopped feeding her pups.

The Inspector also told them that her puppies were too young to be separated from their mum.

Esme's owner admitted they couldn't afford to get medical treatment for her and her pups. She surrendered them to the Inspector.

Esme would finally receive the medical treatment and care she needed. And her pups would be safe.

Imagine how relieved Esme was to be on her way to a new life.

Generous donations from animal lovers in the community help to ensure that Inspectors are ready to respond to reports of cruelty and have the equipment and support they need to bring dogs and puppies to safety.

Esme and her pups were first taken to a nearby vet clinic. She was examined and kept overnight for observation. Her puppies were also kept warm and well-fed.

Esme and her seven remaining pups came to the RSPCA Animal Care Centre the next day. Their medical treatment and care would begin straight away.

Esme was diagnosed with mastitis. This is a painful medical condition in new mums where the milk ducts become blocked. If left untreated, it can become very painful and infected.

Esme was in pain, and she couldn't feed her puppies. 

It wasn't just Esme's life that changed that day. People like you helped to save the lives of her seven small puppies, too.

Esme got painkillers to ease her discomfort, and an antibiotic injection to treat the infection and prevent it from getting worse.

Her body condition was low, too. And the vets noticed that her coat was dry, and she had itchy patches on her neck and spine.

Esme's puppies also needed care. While they had started to eat solid food, they were a little underweight.

After their initial examinations, the puppies all received worming treatments and vaccinations. They needed to be monitored to make sure they'd pull through. They were placed with three different foster carers, who watched them around the clock.

This also meant they could grow and thrive in a cosy, safe home environment.

Thanks to the support from people like you, the puppies' foster carers had all the equipment, food and enrichment they needed.

While in foster care, the puppies also got regular medical check-ups. This meant they would be strong and healthy when it came time to find their forever homes.

RSPCA WA relied on donations for so many things. In addition to keeping inspectors on the road, generous donors keep the vet clinic well equipped and staffed. And foster carers are equipped with everything they need to help animals recover from their ordeals.

If you care about animals, won't you help to save more like Esme from cruelty and neglect?