Starved dog found tied to railings in Wigan 'worst case of neglect' rescuers had seen
A dog left tethered to railings of a Wigan park was victim to one of the worst cases of neglect, rescuers said.
The animal had been stranded before a passer-by stumbled across her.
The dog was riddled with fleas and was so thin her bones could be seen through her skin.
Rescuers from the charity Dogs4Rescue said she was in a "shockingly bad state". They added that the starved pup, called Luna, was "the worst case of neglect we have ever seen."
Thankfully, the kind stranger called the charity, who quickly came to the rescue.
In a social media post, they said they are now promising "nothing but love from now on."
They said: "In all our years this is the worst case of neglect we have ever seen. Usually only seen on cruelty TV adverts or the abandoned hounds in Cyprus, yesterday this poor emaciated dog was abandoned in a field in Wigan.
She is now safe in our care. She is in a shockingly bad state. She has been starved and is skeletal. She is covered in fleas and her nails are overgrown. Just when humans couldn’t let her down any more she was tied to railings in a park and left.
"Her name is Luna and she is the most beautiful, gentle soul. She slept in Em’s bed last night cuddling with Callie. The breeding mum helping the newbie. She is so frail it breaks your heart and this morning we will be taking her to the vets for a full and thorough check up.
"We know she was once very loved but her owner sadly passed away and she was rehomed. Likely she has been passed around. We will be passing information onto the authorities about the last known keeper as this is nothing short of animal cruelty and abuse.
"Luna will only know love from now on and we will do everything in our power to nurse her back to good health."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...