A sweet young dog who was found dumped in a cage with a note from ‘struggling’ owners has been rescued by the RSPCA.
The puppy, who’s suffering from a leg deformity, was left by the side of an Oxfordshire road with a black terrier who ended up escaping from the cage and has sadly not yet been found.
The pair had been left with a note that read ‘Please feed and look after me. My owner is struggling to look after me’.
Inspector Stephanie Law from the animal welfare charity said: ‘We were contacted by a member of the public who had found two dogs in a cage beside a road located between Northmoor and Stanford Harcourt.
‘Alongside this dog, who has been named Rudy by the team caring for him, was a second dog, a black terrier, who escaped out of the ramshackle cage when the member of the public who found them tried to pick it up.
‘Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to locate the second dog and have notified the dog warden in the hope the dog is brought in as a stray.
‘If anyone knows where this dog is, or has any information on who abandoned these poor dogs, we’d encourage them to contact us.’
This heartbreaking case comes as worrying new figures released by the charity show that, April 2023 alone, officers have dealt with 1,508 reports to their emergency line of an animal being abandoned.
That’s a rise of nearly 10% compared to the same month last year.
Even in this cost of living crisis, it’s never okay to leave an animal like this.
If you need help, the charity has opened a telephone helpline – 0300 123 0650 – to offer support to anyone struggling, and they’ve launched a new cost-of-living hub.
Stephanie added: ‘It is really upsetting that these dogs have been abandoned alongside this note.
‘We know times are really tough right now. We’re doing everything we can to help keep pets in loving homes wherever possible.
‘We’re pleading with people not to abandon animals and encourage anyone who is struggling to seek help.’
If you recognise Rudy or have any information about the missing terrier, you can contact the RSPCA, in confidence, on 0300 123 8018.
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