Scared, deaf and alone: Abandoned puppies Sugar and Spice highlight concerning pet shelter trend

As Aussies around the country prepared for Christmas, 16-week-old Bull Arab puppies Sugar and Spice were wandering the streets of Melbourne, abandoned and alone.

The dangers of being a stray in the city are already high enough for any dog but the risks for the sibling puppies were multiplied because they are both deaf.

A passing car or even a bike could have spelt disaster for the hapless canines.

"We don't know how long they were out there for," Lort Smith Adoption Centre manager Amanda Doolan tells nine.com.au.

"They would have been scared, they would have probably been huddled together or gone to the first person they'd seen because they're very friendly puppies." 

The puppies were eventually found wandering the streets in North Melbourne by a member of the public and brought into the Lort Smith Adoption Centre for care.

"They were riddled with fleas and quite emaciated, so they hadn't been living a great life," Doolan says. 

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"It was just lucky that she found them and that they had stayed together and that they were brought into us so they could get the care that they needed."

Since arriving at the Campbellfield adoption centre four weeks ago, Doolan says the puppies have "absolutely blossomed".

Their fleas have been treated and, with the right diet, they've returned to the "chunky pups" that they should be.

"They're quite little rascals, they love a bit of a rough and tumble," Doolan says. 

"They're living their best life at the moment and, as you can imagine, the staff are already quite fond of them. 

"We've got some great volunteers who will sit with them and read with them and take them for walks so yeah they've really blossomed. They're just beautiful pups."

Sugar and Spice's story isn't unique. 

Shelters around the country are constantly receiving animals who have been surrendered or abandoned, with many just as young as Sugar and Spice. 

All of the dogs available for adoption at the moment at the Lord Smith Adoption Centre are "six months and under" just like Sugar and Spice, according to Doolan. 

It highlights a worrying pet shelter trend about new pet owners. 

Doolan says it's common for people to adopt a puppy, usually a bigger breed, without proper consideration of what that animal needs.

Then, once the reality of looking after that dog sets in, they will surrender it as they can't keep up with its needs. 

"Most puppies are cute and small, who doesn't love a puppy? But they grow," Doolan says. 

"They get bigger and bigger, and some of these are puppies are over 10kg.

"They can get destructive, they need to be trained and they need to be walked."

It's at this point, Doolan says, that new pet owners can come to realise it's all a "bit too hard".

This is why Doolan stresses it is vital to do your research before adopting a dog.

"Do your research. What size dog do you need? What sort of activity level? Do you want a dog that's just going to sit on the couch with you? Do you want a small dog for an apartment? Are you socially active?" 

"All of this needs to be taken into consideration before you look at getting a dog."

"You've got to commit to a dog," Doolan adds. 

"It's just unfortunate that these puppies in the prime of their life are being surrendered when they should be in a loving home."

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