A Staffordshire bull terrier named Magic was so thin he was mistaken for a plastic bag when he was found after being dumped.
The four-year-old terrier cross was found on the side of a single track lane in Middlesbrough by a passerby.
The passerby initially thought that Magic was a plastic bag however he soon realised he was actually an emaciated dog.
He took Magic, who was suffering from a bad skin infection, dirty ear canals and discharge seeping from his eyes, to the RSPCA centre in Great Ayton, in North Yorkshire.
A Staffordshire bull terrier named Magic was mistaken for a plastic bag when he was found
RSCPA inspector Clare Wilson claimed that she had never seen such a thin dog and she is now investigating how he ended up like this.
She said: ‘I have done this job for nine years and am rarely shocked but when I saw the condition of this poor dog I was so horrified and upset.
‘He is as emaciated as a dog can possibly get while still being alive. I don’t think he would still be here if he hadn’t been found yesterday.
‘The man who found him mistook him for a plastic bag at first glance but realised, thank goodness, that he was a dog and brought him to ask for our help.
Magic was emaciated and had a bad skin infection when he was discovered in Middlesborough
‘This poor dog also has a nasty and chronic skin infection, very dirty ear canals, discharge from his eyes and very long nails. He doesn’t have a collar or a microchip so we do not know where he came from.
‘It is clear to me that he has been dumped after someone has let him deteriorate to this poor state of health without seeking vet treatment for his many health problems. I took him straight to the vets and I’m investigating the matter.’
The inspector is appealing for anyone with information about the dog’s owner, or where he was living before he was dumped.
‘I am very keen to find out what happened to this poor boy so would ask that anyone who knows where he has come from to contact us in complete confidence and leaves me a message so I can call them for more details,’ she said.
‘Thankfully Magic is looking a bit brighter today and is eating small amounts so we are hopeful he will pull through and that we will be able to find him a foster home.’
Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA inspector appeal line and leave their details in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018.