New home owners were horrified to find an abandoned and malnourished dog left dumped in a cupboard.
After purchasing a new house in Maine, New England, US, a couple, who are unnamed, were getting ready to decorate their rooms when the pair stumbled upon the frightened animal locked in a cupboard.
The dog, believed to be a pit bull-mix puppy, was in desperate need of food and water as cops were called to the scene to investigate.
Police are searching for the previous homeowners who could face criminal charges for animal cruelty and neglect.
Officer Douglas Bell said: “Once the humane society looks at him, we’ll have a better idea of whether he’s suffered any infections or serious injuries.
“Once we’re able to interview the owner and know the dog’s condition, we’ll have a better idea of what we might charge them with.”
The Caribou Police Department uploaded pictures of the pooch to Facebook in the hope of trying to find any information on who might have left the dog in the home.
In the post, police said the dog "had not been “properly cared for in quite some time”.
However, authorities have said the previous owners of the house are not suspected of leaving the dog abandoned in the home.
Mr Bell said: “The dog was abandoned at the home while it was vacant, meaning after the previous owner left but before it was just purchased."
Police believe two homeless people might have owned the dog and then neglected the animal.
Mr Bell said: “We suspect that they were squatting (in the home)."
He said the house had been vacated for a few months before the previous homeowners as the couple, who discovered the dog, were starting to renovate their home.
Police have identified a suspect they are looking to talk to and the dog is receiving medical treatment.
The Caribou Police Department added: "We now have identified a suspect and are in the process of locating him. The dog is currently getting the care he needs."
