A FRIENDLY dog which was abandoned in Accrington had been subjected to "prolonged abuse and starvation".
The Staffordshire-cross bitch - which does not yet have a name - was found wandering around the Royds Street area of Woodnook, Accrington, last Friday.
A resident spotted it and put it on a lead until dog warden Steve Wood arrived.
Mr Wood said: "The dog was just wandering about and you could see that it had been looked after poorly.
"It appears the dog has been in someone's house and they had just decided to get rid of her and thrown her out.
"She is just a skeleton covered in fur, she is in a terrible condition. Yet she has a beautiful temperament. How anybody can starve a dog like they have is beyond belief."
The black and white dog was close to death, weighing just 27lbs (12.5kgs) when she was found, which is half of what she should weigh.
The dog was first taken to the Town and Country veterinary practice in Clayton-le-Moors before being transferred to the Aspen Valley kennels in Oswaldtwistle.
Georgina Allen of the charity Stray Dogs in Need, who works at the kennels, said that the dog was very thin but had started to eat slowly but surely.
The RSPCA is now investigating the matter and may have enough evidence to prosecute the owner.
