A dog ‘left to starve’ by its owners in a backyard has been rescued by a southern Tasmania animal sanctuary.
The Brightside Farm Sanctuary shared the heartbreaking story of Lucy’s discovery on Monday afternoon, revealing that she was found outside “abandoned with the household rubbish”.
“She spent months starving in a backyard and then her owner moved and left her behind,” the sanctuary shared on social media.
“Dogs are for life. If you don’t want your dog or cannot keep your dog then take her to a shelter or call Brightside for advice/help.”
The sanctuary thanked the person who alerted them to the situation and Tasmania Police for arranging for the “poor, terrified, and neglected dog” to be signed over to them, but said dogs being abused and neglected were “steadily becoming a common sight.”
“Drugs are no excuse, there is no acceptable excuse for abandoning your dog or just leaving her to starve in your backyard,” they wrote.
According to the RSPCA website, the organisation encounters “a few cases of outright animal abuse or cruelty each year”.
“These shock everyone involved with the case. In order for our inspectors to investigate a complaint within Tasmania and enter property they require reasonable belief to suspect that an animal cruelty offence has been committed.”
The RSPCA encourages anyone who suspects animal cruelty to contact their animal cruelty hotline at 1300 139 947 or utilise the online form available on their website.
