Members of the public were left horrified after discovering an elderly dog collapsed on the side of the road.
The dog that is believed to be a Tibetan Spaniel was found in a ‘horrendous state’ after it was abandoned by its owner.
An animal rescue took the dog in and ran tests on it to determine the animal's physical health.
In a statement on Facebook, Molly Moos Westie Rescue Ireland said: “This older dog a 'Tibetan Spaniel' came into our care in recent few days, found collapsed and in a horrendous state !
“Filthy and matted to the bone, has a cough which it now appears the dog has a grade 5 heart murmur not treated..
“For the dogs comfort he’s has to be shaved, is chipped but not registered to the owner..
“This is a case of severe neglect!! Currently Under investigation."
People were outraged that the owner of the dog left it in such poor condition to fend for itself.
One user said: “WHAT is wrong with some people that they allow a poor innocent dog to get into this state – SHAME on them.
“This dote is safe now thankfully – well don’t to you all. X”
Another said: “Hopefully the owner will be found and charged with cruelty and (never) allowed to own an animal again.
“Everyone should make sure that their pets are chipped and the information registered and up to date.”
The discovery of the abandoned animal comes after Dogs Trust Ireland issued a statement saying they have seen a 212% increase in people wanting to surrender their dogs over the past three months.
To help combat this, they have offered dog owners a free Bark to Basics interactive pack to help families adjust back to normal life with the addition of a new dog.
A spokesperson for Dogs Trust Ireland said: “Us humans are delighted that life is slowly starting to return to ‘normal’, however, our furry friends may not feel the same.
“After 16-months of being our constant companions, our increasing time away from our homes can be very worrying and stressful for them.
“Sadly, we have had a 212% increase over the last three months from people wanting to surrender their dogs, compared to the same period in 2020.
“As we want to help keep as many dogs as possible happy in their current homes, we’ve created a FREE #BarkToBasics interactive pack which offers fun and simple techniques to help your dog cope with life after lockdown.”
Sign-up for your FREE pack here: DogsTrust.ie/BarkToBasics-f
