RSPCA Cymru found a Shih Tzu in an awful state when she was abandoned on a driveway in Shotton near Deeside, Flintshire. The female Shih Tzu, estimated to be around a year old, was found in a pet carrier with heavily matted fur.
She was found by the homeowners who took her to a vet, who then called the RSPCA. The dog, described as a "lovely little thing," has been named Ivy by the RSPCA whose staff have taken her in.
A figure could be seen on CCTV "placing something down" outside the house at 6.45pm on May 22, but the footage has not been helpful in the RSPCA's enquiries. Ivy wasn't microchipped so the RSPCA are now appealing for help from the public.
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Animal rescue officer Mel Froude said: "This poor dog was just left on this driveway. She had extremely bad matted fur and a poor body condition.
"Despite there being CCTV footage the figure is unidentifiable and is seen behind a bush placing something down. So we are hoping that maybe someone in the community may be able to help us further in finding out what happened here."
Mel added: "We’d very much like to thank the kind hearted people who took her to a vet where they were able to carefully clip her fur. She looks like a completely different dog now and hopefully is a lot more comfortable and cooler now she has been trimmed.
"She's a lovely little thing - friendly but very nervous. She now has been taken into our care and has been doing well and putting on weight which is great news"
The RSPCA is dealing with a high number of abandonments, with 1,508 reports in April this year alone, up 9.6% from a year aqo. The RSPCA is offering cost of living support for worried pet owners including a phone helpline on 03001230650 and an online hub for advice.
Mel said: "Sadly, more and more people are abandoning their animals and it could be down to a number of reasons, for example when owners are unable to cope, whether that be with an animal’s behaviour, the costs of keeping the pet or other things in their life take over they opt to dump them. We would urge anyone who is struggling to seek help - abandoning an animal is never the answer."
If anyone has any information about this dog they should contact the RSPCA's inspectorate appeal line on 03001238018.
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