Appeal after starved dog's body dumped

The dog had suffered years of neglect

Animal cruelty inspectors were horrified when they discovered the Staffordshire bull terrier's corpse behind a hedge in Saughton on Saturday.

It is thought the body was dumped there by the animal's owner.

The Scottish SPCA said it was one of the worst cases of cruelty ever seen in Edinburgh, with the dog weighing just over 8kg - half what it should be.

The charity's chief inspector Paul Anderson said: "This case is horrendous and among the worst we have 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.

"He had very little muscle left on his body and was so emaciated it's as though skin had been pulled over his bones."

They suspect the animal, discovered in a garden on Whitson Road, had been kept in "squalid" conditions prior to its death.

Charity chiefs want to catch the culprits, thought to have disposed of the dog some time on Friday night or early Saturday morning, who could face a prison sentence.

SSPCA staff were so disturbed by the crime that they released images of the dead animal on its website to shock people into helping the inquiry.

Estimates place the dog at around ten years old, prompting fears that he has endured almost a decade of suffering.

Mr Anderson added: "Sadly, he'll have been in a great deal of pain as when his body starves to death its organs begin to fail.

"The dog also had pressure sores and smelled of urine, which suggests he had been kept in squalid conditions.

"The dog was found in a 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 are asking the public for help identifying who is responsible for causing him such terrible suffering."

Anyone with information is being asked to call the SSPCA on 03000-999 999.