A litter of 11 puppies have been named after Newcastle United’s cup heroes.

Staff and volunteers at Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter have welcomed 11 Staff-cross puppies into their fold and they have each been given a special name.

The Shelter has decided to name each of them after Newcastle United’s starting line-up of this year’s Carabao Cup Final, which saw the Magpies end their 70-year wait for major silverware.

The puppies were born to mum Zara, who was found after a suspected dog attack - with the Shelter taking her in and treating her wounds.

Thankfully Zara is now doing really well and is the proud mum to Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak.

The new arrivals continue Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter’s puppy surge throughout 2025, with the Shelter recording a 350% increase on puppies being rehomed from its Benton base this year to date, compared to the whole of 2024.

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Chris Bray, Chief Executive at Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter said: “We are delighted to introduce this very special squad of puppies and couldn’t be prouder of how mum Zara has taken to managing her ‘players’, who definitely keep her on her toes.

“2025 has quickly become known as the ‘Year of the Puppy’ at the Shelter as we’ve already rehomed 32 puppies year to date – not including the Carabao Pups – compared with just seven in 2024.

“It’s always special when we have puppies and kittens to rehome but we also have a host of older dogs and cats, all just as special with their own unique personalities looking for their forever home.

“I’d urge anyone considering the addition of a pet into their family to look to our Shelter first.

“Rehoming an animal is incredibly rewarding, and our wonderful team support potential owners throughout their adoption journey and beyond.”

Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter have confirmed that the ‘Carabao Pups’ will be ready for rehoming from mid-June.

Anyone who is interested in providing a forever home for a member of the litter should visit: https://www.dogandcatshelter.com/ to complete an application form.

Alternatively, you can call 0191 215 0435 to speak to a member of the Shelter’s team.

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