A dead dog was found stuffed in a pillowcase with a load of household rubbish as animal welfare experts say there has been a big jump in the number of pets being abandoned.
The female black and white Jack Russell-type dog was discovered by a member of the public on a path running alongside a stream off in Lancashire last week. Dirty nappies and old jars of baby food were among the items also found inside the pillowcase.
After being alerted to the grim discovery, an RSPCA inspector took the dog to the charity's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford for further examination.
A scan revealed she wasn’t microchipped and there was no obvious cause of death, but the charity says due to the circumstances in which the dog was found the incident is being treated as suspicious.
They are now appealing for anyone who may have any information which could help their enquiries to come forward. The dog was found off Clayton Brook Road in Clayton Brook near Chorley, Lancs, at around at about 12.45pm last Friday, February 17.
RSPCA inspector Vicki McDonald “When I arrived at the scene I saw the head of a small black and white Jack Russell-type dog poking out of the pillowcase and I could feel it also contained other items.
“When we opened it up at the hospital I was shocked to find she had been placed inside a JD Sports carrier bag, along with soiled nappies and various other items of household rubbish.
“Even as an experienced officer, it was a distressing sight to see a dog, who’d presumably once been a much-loved pet, disposed of in this heartless way, thrown out like nothing more than a piece of household rubbish.
“I'm keen to find out who owned her, how she died and why she ended up being abandoned in such a cruel and undignified manner.”
As well as nappies, there were tags for McKenzie sportswear, Disney baby clothes from George at Asda and jars of HIPP baby food. The pillowcase she was found in is described as white, with a faded floral design.
It comes as concerning new figures released by the RSPCA reveal that its officers dealt with 1,529 incidents of animals being abandoned in the first month of this year, compared to 1,390 for the same period in 2022, a rise of ten percent.
The charity says they believe the cost of living crisis, coupled with the expected financial pressures on pet owners during the festive season, may have led to the upsurge.
They are urging pet owners to contact them if they need support by
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