A "barely alive” dog has been saved by animal rescuers after losing 98% of his fur and being dumped "like rubbish" in a street by his cruel owners. Terrified Lucas, whose hair fell out due to a skin condition, was the “thinnest” dog RSCPA inspectors had ever seen when they picked him up on a main road.
The distressed greyhound-lurcher cross was originally discovered by police and was so weak he was unable to walk. He was then rushed to a vet, where surgeons found he had a partially rotted-off broken tailbone and sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious skin infection. RSPCA Inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw, who first collect the injured mutt from the officers, said he was stunned by the poor state of his health and wellbeing.
He said: “I was really shocked when I first saw him. He was the thinnest dog that I had ever seen that was still alive and on top of this he had an awful untreated skin condition which meant he was constantly scratching and had left him almost completely bald. I could tell by his demeanour and look in his eyes Lucas had given up on life as he was so broken and withdrawn. It was heartbreaking to see.
