The RSPCA is appealing for information after a young dog was found at night wandering alone on a main road in Cottenham on Sunday July 9.

The female dog, thought to be less than a year old, was spotted by a concerned member of the public, who collected her and took her home.

The caller then gave the youngster a medicated bath and contacted the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre in Wimblington who collected her the next morning.

RSPCA Inspector Jon Knight who collected the dog, said: “This just shows the two extremes of how people treat animals. On the one hand we have this wonderful person who saw this poor dog in distress and picked her up, took her home, bathed her and did all they could to help, and we are so grateful for all their efforts.

“Then on the flip side there is someone out there who has left this dog in just the most horrendous of conditions. She was emaciated, lethargic and suffering from a skin condition all over her body. She was also very sick and suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

“This level of neglect, just doesn’t happen overnight and so this poor youngster has been suffering for an unacceptable period of time before being dumped like a piece of rubbish.

“Patricia, as she was named by the member of the public who found her, is only young and she’s so thin and emaciated it’s actually hard to tell her breed at this stage but she is a bull type cross.”

Patricia is now being cared for at the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre, where blood tests and skin scrapes have been carried out to establish her skin condition.

Staff at the centre say she is very sweet and is now starting to settle into her new surroundings. She is also being given regular medicated baths.

Anyone with any information regarding the dog is urged to call our RSPCA inspectorate appeal line in confidence on 0300 123 8018.

The RSPCA is a charity and we rely on public donations to exist. To assist our inspectors in carrying out their vital work please text HELP to 78866 to give £3. (Texts cost £3 + one standard network rate message.)