DOG owners in Bromley and surroundings areas are being urged to make sure their pets are fully vaccinated after several animals died from a lethal virus.

Vets have confirmed an outbreak of Parvovirus, which claimed the lives of three puppies in Biggin Hill and another young dog in Bromley.

A further six animals have reportedly died of the killer disease in nearby Catford.

Three Rottweiler puppies were found dumped in a box in Cudham Lane and taken to Darwin Veterinary Centre, Biggin Hill, but they could not be saved.

Head vet Sonya Miller-Smith said: “The chances of survival are about two per cent. It really is dire. Prevention is so much better than cure. The best present that you can give your dog is protection against Parvo.”

She said: “We don’t want to cause alarm but do urge dog owners to act responsibly by pooper-scooping whilst out walking and by checking their pet’s vaccination status.”

If you are unsure if your pet’s vaccinations are up to date then ring your veterinary surgery, who can check for you.

Hundreds of thousands of dogs died in the last national epidemic of Parvovirus, in the late 1970s.

Vets were forced to put down dozens of dogs every day as the virus spread.

Parvovirus produces symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhoea and often leads to rapid death.

Ms Miller-Smith said that whilst a few small pockets of infection had always remained around the UK, numbers of cases had rocketed since July.

It is believed that outbreaks of Parvovirus occur when the level of unvaccinated dogs in an area reaches 50 to 60 per cent.