The puppies were found in a shoebox outside a council office.

Seven puppies found abandoned in a shoebox have been reunited with their mother, in what the RSPCA is calling a ‘miracle’.

The two-week-old puppies were discovered in a shoebox outside of the Braintree District Council office, and were taken to RSPCA’s Danaher Animal Home.

Believed to be terrier crosses, the puppies were too young to be raised away from their mother, and so rescue centre manager Sam Garvey took care of them. She took them home with her, where she hand reared them.

Ms Garvey fed them every few hours, and the puppies soon began to build some strength.

Following a social media competition, the puppies were named after Friends characters: Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Gunther.

Less than two weeks later, a crossbreed dog was brought into the centre that had been abandoned nearby. She was dirty, thin, and had matted fur.

The team were amazed to find that this abandoned dog was the mother of the seven puppies. They named her Samantha, after the rescue centre manager who fostered her offspring.

Although they tried to reintroduce Samantha to her puppies, unfortunately she did not form the bond that they were expecting.

Samantha has since been re-homed, and is settling in quickly to her new family.

The puppies are still too young to be re-homed, and are continuing to be cared for by the rescue centre. Danaher Animal Home has launched a fundraiser, Pound for a Pup, to help with the costs of caring for the puppies.

Ms Garvey said: “The puppies continue to grow and are becoming cheeky, playful dogs in our care. They’re not ready for rehoming yet and we’ll put their profiles on our website as soon as they’re up for adoption.

“We’re so incredibly happy that all of the puppies are doing really well and have survived this crucial time where they should have been with their mum. We are appealing to anybody that can to donate a pound for a pup to help us, help them.”

To donate, visit the Pound for a Pup fundraising page.

Image © RSPCA