A dog was found abandoned in a filthy garden without any water or food on the hottest day ever recorded. Worried neighbours phoned the RSPCA and officers rescued the female dog, thought to be a Boxer.
It happened in Liverpool, which had its hottest day on record last Tuesday, July 19. The dog had been there for several days before being found as temperatures peaked at 35C.
A video of the dog showed how it was left in a filthy garden with no food, water or shelter. The garden, which RSPCA officers gained entry to, was filled with piles of binbags, beer cans, glass and plastic bottles, reports the LiverpoolECHO.
The back window of the property was broken. When an officer looked inside they saw an abandoned bike, a dirty sofa and what looked like dog mess on the floor.
Inspector Anthony Joynes was told by neighbours the dog was left alone for days after the owner vacated the property. The dog had been fed by concerned neighbours, who were able to put food over the fence.
The RSPCA confirmed the dog was taken to an RSPCA branch where she will be rehabilitated and eventually rehomed. The call came in on the organisation's busiest day, where it received a total of 5,971 reports to its cruelty hotline.
Jill Smith, RSPCA specialist manager at the National Control Centre, said: “Every day is busy at the RSPCA as we receive more than a million calls a year but summer is our peak time, and this recent heatwave has put extra pressure on our call takers and support staff, frontline rescuers, vets and centres and branches who care for the animal victims of neglect and cruelty.
“We urge anyone thinking of calling to check the website first to see if the advice is there and, where possible and safe, to help the animal themselves or get it to a vet if needed. This really helps free up our cruelty line and our frontline rescuers to focus on investigating the heartbreaking cruelty and neglect cases which flood in over summer.
“This year we are bracing ourselves for a summer of suffering with an increase in pet ownership during the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. That is why we need the public's support more than ever to help Cancel Out Cruelty so our call staff, frontline rescuers along with centre and branch staff can work together to help all those animals in need.”
