Woman shocked by 'very frightened' dog hiding in driveway
Roxy, an incredibly malnourished three-year-old dog, is now being cared for by the RSP
WARNING — GRAPHIC IMAGES: An investigation has been launched after a stunned woman made a heartbreaking discovery "curled up" behind a bush in her driveway.
Emma Fowler said she was "shocked" to recently find an incredibly malnourished three-year-old dog — named Roxy — seeking respite at her home near Essex in the UK.
The Dogue de Bordeaux — also known as a French Mastiff — cross was so hungry that all her ribs were visible, she said.
"I was shocked to see Roxy curled up on our drive," Emma explained. "But I'm glad she found a sunny spot on our drive to await rescue, and I'm very grateful to the vets for taking her in.
"She looked starving and shockingly thin but she was so sweet once she realised we were friends and we were there to help her. She was grateful for the attention and it was such a relief to get her to safety."
It was later revealed the dog weighed just 29kg — about half of her healthy body weight.
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RSPCA launches investigation into 'seriously neglected' dog
Roxy was taken to the RSPCA, which is now trying to track down it's owner, as reported by What's The Jam.
An inspector with the animal charity, Nicky Thorne, has launched an investigation.
"Emma was incredibly concerned about Roxy as she was cowering behind a bush and seemed very frightened," Nicky said. "It looked as though she'd given up. Emma approached her but she growled so she got some neighbours to help and they took her some treats.
"As soon as she'd munched on a few biscuits, Roxy decided Emma was her best friend."
Nicky described the dog as "painfully skinny" and "just skin and bone". "It's clearly taken a significant amount of time for her to get into this state so I suspect she's been seriously neglected," she added.
Roxy was microchipped to a property in Essex, and Nicky has been following up with her previous owners who say she was re-homed in September 2023.
Jam Press
