Fury as 'Painfully Skinny' Dog Found Cowering in State of Serious Neglect

The discovery of a "painfully skinny" dog who was found cowering by the driveway of a home has sparked anger.

Roxy, the 3-year-old Dogue de Bordeaux, was discovered huddled by a bush in Boxted, Essex, in the U.K. on April 21 by local resident Emma Fowler.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty (RSPCA), the U.K.'s largest animal welfare charity, is now appealing for information to help track down the stricken dog's owners.

RSPCA inspector Nicky Thorne, who has launched an investigation into Roxy's sudden and distressing appearance, said: "Emma was incredibly concerned about Roxy as she was cowering behind a bush and seemed very frightened. It looked as if she'd given up.

"Emma approached her, but she growled, so she got some neighbors 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!"

Fowler took Roxy to a local veterinarian who then alerted the RSPCA amid concerns that the dog was so emaciated, she appeared to have been neglected for some time. Fowler said: "I was shocked to see Roxy curled up on our drive, 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 on a Sunday.

"She looked starving and shockingly thin, but she was so sweet once she realized 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."

When the veterinarians looked her over, Roxy was found to be weighing just 64 pounds. That's roughly half what a healthy female Dogue de Bordeaux should weigh (120 pounds).

Thorne said it is likely that Roxy was the victim of neglect. "Roxy is painfully skinny; you can see all of her bones and every single rib. She's just skin and bone," he said. "It's clearly taken a significant amount of time for her to get into this state, so I suspect she's been seriously neglected."

Despite the alarming nature of Roxy's condition, Thorne was full of praise for the efforts of Fowler and her neighbors in caring for the unwell hound.

"Thankfully, Roxy has now been reminded what love is, and so many people have come together to help her—from Emma and her neighbors who got her the vet treatment she desperately needed, to the vets who treated her and kept her safe," Thorne said. "It's only by working together that we can create a world that's kinder for every kind, including for dogs like Roxy."

Sadly, with summer fast approaching in the U.K., the RSPCA is ready to start dealing with more cases like that of Roxy. The animal welfare charity said that, during the warmer months, their workers collect an abandoned animal every hour in the U.K.

The 3-year-old Roxy was microchipped to a property in Halstead, Essex, and Thorne has been following up with her previous owners who say she was rehomed in September 2023.

"The people Roxy was chipped to said she'd had to rehome her last year, and she'd been taken on by a man called Rob," Thorne said. "I'd like to hear from anyone who might recognize Roxy from the local areas of Halstead and Boxted, or anyone who knows someone who previously owned a dog that looks like Roxy.

"She's such a sweet and friendly dog; we've all completely fallen in love with her, and I want to get some answers about what's happened to her," Thorne added.

Anyone with any information can call the RSPCA's appeal line on 0300 123 8018 in the U.K.