Six puppies being left for dead in a sack under a bridge in Southland has sickened SPCA workers.

Invercargill SPCA shelter manager Mary Bradley said it was the third time in the past month that abandoned puppies had been found and brought to the SPCA.

"It's just not good enough ... it's got to stop."

The six puppies, thought to be about six weeks old and with mastiff in them, were found in a sack under the Iron Bridge over the Oreti River.

"It's not necessary. We are here, we will take them ... don't dump them and risk them dying."

A man and a woman had called yesterday morning to say they had found the puppies and brought them to the SPCA.

It was hoped that someone would recognise the puppies and know where they might have come from, Ms Bradley said.

"I hope that by making people aware that we've got them people will say `I've seen those puppies next door'."

People needed to desex their dogs to stop this from happening again, Ms Bradley said.

Abandoning puppies was a criminal offence, but criminal action would be the last resort, Ms Bradley said.

"We just need to talk to the people and find out why they did it and why they didn't come to us."

Three rottweiler puppies were signed over to the SPCA yesterday because the owners did not want them.

A huntaway-cross puppy was also found abandoned on Conon St yesterday morning bringing the total number of puppies to 10 that were brought into the animal shelter yesterday.

- © Fairfax NZ News