The Scottish SPCA has appealed for information after a dog was found dead in an Edinburgh garden having apparently starved to death and been thrown over a fence.

Warning: the photo in this news story is likely to cause distress.

A local resident discovered the body of the male Staffordshire bull terrier on Saturday morning at an address on Whitson Road in the west of the city.

Scottish SPCA Chief Inspector Paul Anderson said, “This case is horrendous and among the worst we’ve investigated in recent years.

“We haven’t carried out a post mortem yet but the immediate indications are this poor dog starved to death and hadn’t been dead long.

“The dog weighed only 8.75kgs, less than half the weight he should have been. He had very little muscle left on his body and was so emaciated it’s as though skin had been pulled over his bones.

“Sadly, he’ll have been in a great deal of pain as when a body starves to death its organs begin to fail.

“The dog also had pressure sores and smelled strongly of urine, which suggests he’d been kept in squalid conditions.”

Dog found dead in EdinburghCI Anderson continued, “The dog was found in a front garden next to some bushes and as there are no gaps big enough for him to have crawled through it seems likely he was thrown over the fence when he was either dead or dying

“We can’t be sure how long he’d been there but the information we have suggests he was dumped when it was dark, either on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“He was around ten years old, dark brindle, quite small for a staffie and had no identification tag or microchip. We’re asking the public for help identifying who is responsible for causing him such terrible suffering.”

Potential penalties for causing an animal unnecessary suffering include a prison sentence, a substantial fine and a ban on keeping animals.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999.

Another dog was dumped earlier in the week, but was at least alive when found by the Scottish SPCA.

The Scottish SPCA has appealed for information after a dog was abandoned on New Year’s Eve.

The male labrador cross was tied up on Peffer Street, Craigmillar in Edinburgh.

Senior Inspector Jenny Scott rescued the dog in the morning on New Year’s day.

Inspector Scott said, “A local resident said they had seen the dog tied up just after midnight whilst first footing but assumed someone was coming back for it that night.

“When I collected him, he had been outside for at least ten hours.

“It’s a strange case as the dog is in good condition and we originally thought someone might have tied him up and forgotten about him but no one has come forward to claim him.

“He is black with a white strip on his chest and is between three and four years old. He was wearing a red leather looking collar with silver metal dogs on it.

“We hope someone will recognise him and help us track down his owner.”

The dog is now being cared for at our animal rescue and rehoming centre in Lanarkshire where staff have named him Larry.

Anyone who recognises Larry should contact our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.

Abandoning an animal is an offence and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.

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