The RSCPA have appealed for information after a dog was taken to a vets in Huntingdon after it was found dumped on the side of the road.

The Hunts Post: Benji when he was foundBenji when he was found (Image: Archant)

Poodle-cross Benji was found at the roadside in Eye, near Peterborough, last Wednesday (June 13) with severely matted fur and a rotted paw, with a vet describing it as the “worst case of neglect” she had seen.

Benji was discovered by a group of teenagers on a track near White Post Road, with the youngsters quick to contact the RSPCA for help.

Inspector Carrie O’Riordan collected the stricken dog and took him straight the emergency out-of-hours surgery at Cromwell Veterinary Group, in Huntingdon. Julie Eastham, practice manager at Cromwell Veterinary Group, said: “The vet involved with Benji care said this was the worst case of neglect she has ever seen. It is heartbreaking for all our staff to see such a sad case, poor Benji had been suffering for some time.”

Benji was so matted he could hardly move and the vets had to shave off 1.2kg of his fur. He has now been transferred to RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre, near March.

The Hunts Post: An X-ray of Benji's injured paw.An X-ray of Benji's injured paw. (Image: Archant)

He was extremely nervous and scared when he was found, but staff at the centre said he was starting to come out of himself and was very friendly.

Ms O’Riordan said: “I was truly horrified when I saw Benji, he didn’t even resemble a dog. In all my years as an inspector I have never seen a matted dog as bad as this. The person who let him get to a condition like this is truly the lowest of the low, there is just no excuse for it.

“I would like to thank the young people who found poor Benji, they stayed with him until I arrived and they wrapped him in their shirts to keep him warm and comfortable. They even played him music to keep him calm.

“I fear he may not have been found had it not been for them and he could have died a slow and painful death.

“I really want to find the person who is responsible for Benji’s suffering. It would have taken months for Benji to have become this bad, and he would have been in tremendous pain and so uncomfortable.

“If anyone recognises Benji or may know who owns him, I would urge them to contact me in confidence on the RSPCA inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018.”