Heartbreaking pictures show a dog who was so badly treated that she looks like she is made of stone.
The five-year-old animal, who has been named Madelyn, was found wandering the streets in extreme pain by animal lovers in Houston, Texas.
Vets say she is suffering from a heart condition and her fur has gone, leaving her spirit "broken".
Madelyn is now being looked after by animal welfare agency This Is Houston, which says she has been "completely failed by humans".
In a heartbreaking statement it wrote: "Her spirit is broken. Her fur is gone. Her entire body hurts.
"Her mind is wondering what she did wrong. Her heart is torn.
"This is what happens when a living animal is ignored for so long."
Little is known about how she came to be in her horrific condition, and whether she had been abandoned by previous owners.
The charity continued : "This baby knew nothing but pain and misery for her entire life.
"She’s five years old and has been completely failed by humans.
"Can you imagine how many people saw her over those five years and ignored her? Our hearts break thinking about how her life has been up until this point."
Madelyn is suffering from an enlarged heart, and a medical examination revealed she has heartworm.
In an update after she underwent a procedure, the animal welfare group wrote: "Sweet Madelyn discharged from the ER tonight and is now home with her foster.
"She has a long road to recovery, but she’ll get there.
"She has lots of sleep to catch up on, and once she’s no longer contagious from the scabies, she will catch up on all the love, too."
X-rays in coming weeks will reveal if her heart is still enlarged. If it is, she will be referred to a cardiologist.
