Animal sanctuary workers were appalled to find a 'frightened, stressed and dehydrated' dog cruelly abandoned outside their premises in the middle of the night on one of the hottest days of the year.
Staff at PACT Animal Sanctuary in Hingham had attended several emergency call-outs during the night when they returned to find a dehydrated and underweight Boston Terrier dumped outside in a cat carrier at 1.15am yesterday morning.
They have since given the elderly hound, who they have named Marty, a thorough medical examination and plenty of water and food to help him recover.
They have also cut back his claws and given him worming and flea treatment.
Thankfully Marty will survive because he was discovered relatively quickly - the staff had only left the sanctuary on one of their emergency call-outs at 10.45pm on Monday, June 19.
'He has now been seen by our vet and, apart from being a little underweight and very hungry, he is otherwise well,' PACT Animal Sanctuary founder Chris Rockingham said.
But she added that had workers not discovered him until the following morning: 'It could've easily been fatal if we hadn't gone out on an emergency call.
'He was very, very lucky we happened to come out and see him. He wasn't making any noises at all.
'He was very frightened, stressed and dehydrated. There was message or anything about him. He had just been abandoned and was not wanted. It didn't look as if he'd been well looked after.
'I was totally appalled that people could be so cruel, unthinking and callous.
'Someone could've called us. Just to dump him at the gate is the cruellest way of doing it. It's preferable to take them to a vet and put them to sleep kindly.
'If people can't afford even that, there are people who could've helped. He could've been dead.'
Mrs Rockingham has now appealed for information and health records about Marty so they can help care for him and eventually rehome him.
'Even if the owner doesn't want to come forward, an anonymous photo will do,' she said.
Anyone with information should call PACT Animal Sanctuary on 01362 820775.
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