Two puppies are safe but it's feared their littermates have died after they were found by the water in Whangārei yesterday.
Workers found the puppies near the Okara Marina construction site in Whangārei and brought them to Mogs and Dogs Desexing Clinic on Thursday morning.
Other littermates were seen in the water and were believed to have died. It was feared they had been thrown off a nearby bridge.
Veterinarian Dr Jo Lin Chia told 1News the surviving puppies appeared in good health, were given a vaccination, and were sent on to foster care.
"It sounds like they swam to shore, that's what I was told. I checked them out and they looked fine, and I was horrified with the situation so I wanted to give them a hand."
Chia said the incident was "an eye-opener" and "a bit surprising", especially given the clinic's mission to reduce unwanted litters.
"We are a desexing clinic, so we try to minimise that sort of thing happening by trying to bring affordable desexing to Northland."
The case underscored a need for widespread desexing and better education on responsible pet ownership, Chia said, adding there needed to be consensus among veterinarians on the age animals could be neutered.
"Even within the industry, there are varying opinions on how young an animal can be fixed."
She also pointed to the fact some believed their dog or cat should have a litter, "that it’s good for the animal or for the family to experience".
"But then there's that whole next step of having to find them all good homes where they are going to be treated well.
"I'm assuming that with this litter, mum's not caring for them, they cost a lot to feed, they poo and pee everywhere. They're easier to discard, rather than to find homes."
The clinic encouraged the finders of the puppies to report the incident to the SPCA.
SPCA inspectorate team lead Helena Sweeting said the organisation was "distressed" to learn of the incident but that no one had reported it yet.
"We urge anyone to come forward with information by reporting it to 0800 SPCA NZ, so our inspectorate team can make further inquiries."
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