Given a home: The eight puppies left for dead inside a bale of hay... near mother who had been tied up and abandoned

It's little wonder that with such cute faces peering out over the edge of their plastic bowl, these eight abandoned puppies have found new homes.

But their futures could have been a lot bleaker.

The puppies and their mother, a mongrel named Amy, had been found by a farmer stuffed inside a bale of hay on his land in Newark.

Left for dead: The litter of eight puppies which had been dumped in a bale of hay on farmland. Their mother had been tied up next to them

Adorable: The gorgeous pups tugged on the heartstrings when their plight went public after being found by a farmer last month

But now, following an appeal by local newspaper the Lincolnshire Echo, the eight six-week old puppies have found caring owners who will be able to give them the life they deserve.

The Echo put out an urgent plea to animal lovers to adopt one of the puppies who were taken in by Lincolnshire Rescue Kennels on December 5.

The mother was discovered with a rope tied around her neck which she had bitten through.

The cute and playful nature of the puppies must have hit home as they were rehomed within hours. 

Speaking to the LIncolnshire Echo, Marek Cybulski, who gave one of the puppies, now called Nina a home said the family had been looking for a puppy since one of their other dogs was killed a few months ago.

Puppy love: Marek Cybulski gets a playful paw from one of the rescued brood, who has been named Nina

'I saw the picture on the front of the Echo and knew that she was the one for me. I went to have a look at the puppies and Nina came running up to me – that just sealed the deal.

'She's been settling in great so far and she's already met our cats and other dog.

'She's only six weeks old so she's still a bit skittish, but she's very playful and we're going to give her a loving home.'

Nina, joins a family which includes another dog, two cats and 20 chickens.

But there is still some sadness left in the story.

Abandoned mum Amy is still looking for a loving new home, according to the kennels.

Kennel assistant Beth Sutton said there was an amazing response, not just for the puppies in question, but also for other dogs that need homes.

Child's play: The puppies enjoy some much-needed attention from a young fan as they recover from their ordeal

by dailymail.co.uk