Dog dumped and left to die just yards from Manchester Dogs' Home

An 'elderly' dog was abandoned and left to die on a road leading to Manchester Dogs' Home.

The German shepherd was spotted by a passer-by and recovered by the animal charity, but sadly his condition deteriorated and he was put to sleep to end his suffering.

The dog was discovered on Moss Brook Road in Harpurhey, north Manchester - the lane leading down to Manchester and Cheshire Dogs' Home.

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The RSPCA said it believes that due to the dog's condition, he wouldn't have been able to walk there, so must have been dumped at the spot just yards from the sanctuary.

The charity has now launched an investigation and issued an appeal to the public for information. In a statement, the dog's condition was described as 'collapsed'. The dogs' home was alerted and went on to contact the RSPCA.

The RSPCA said: "The elderly German shepherd was found in Moss Brook Road, near Manchester and District Home for Lost Dogs, on Thursday 11 April.

"Staff at the dogs' home contacted the RSPCA for assistance and Inspector Deborah Beats arrived to help. She transferred the dog to the charity's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, but sadly the dog deteriorated and had to be put to sleep."

Insp Beats said efforts to trace his owner have so far proved fruitless. She said: "This poor dog was in a state, he was unable to stand, very thin and had pressure sores on his body - a sign that he had been this way for quite some time.

"He isn't microchipped so sadly we're unable to trace his owner that way, so we're urging anyone who knows where he came from to get in touch with us.

"He was in such a bad way that there is no way he’d have been able to get to that location by himself so we are working on the assumption that, heartbreakingly, he was dumped. Please do get in touch with us if you have any information at all which could help us."

The dogs' home in Harpurhey dates back to 1893. It was the scene of tragedy in September, 2014, when a devastating fire started on purpose ripped through the sanctuary, killing 60 dogs.

Passers-by and neighbours living nearby risked their own lives to run into the flames and kick open kennels to reach choking dogs. Two men single-handedly rescued 20, tying them to a fence so they couldn't runback into danger.

It was estimated the lives of 150 dogs were saved, but the kennel block was completely destroyed and around a third of the entire complex left gutted.

Anyone with information should call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018 and quote reference 1248312.