The RSPCA has launched an appeal after a German Shepherd was found starved, injured and almost dead in a street in Ormskirk. The dog was discovered in Yew Tree Road by a concerned member of the public on Wednesday, July 1.
Dog dies despite rescue attempt
The passer-by took the animal back to their home to report the discovery, but the pet unfortunately died. An investigation was opened by the RSPCA due to the poor condition the dog was found in, and the charity is asking anyone who may recognise the animal to come forward.
RSPCA Inspector Caren Goodman said: “This dog was in a terrible bodily condition with all his ribs and spine protruding, he had opened sores on his body which had been bleeding.
“We are keen to trace the person who owned the pet and have taken the decision to release some photographs which are distressing but it will be important to our investigation as someone may well know who has had a dog like this.”
Appeal for information
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the RSPCA’s appeals line on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident number 01843454.
According to the RSPCA, there has been a 64% increase in summer cruelty to animals over a five-year period. The charity released the new statistics as part of its Cruelty Hurts Love Rescues fundraising campaign, which coincides with its busiest time as cruelty reports peak over summer.
In June, July and August last year, the RSPCA received 6,322 cruelty calls to its emergency line – one call every 10 minutes when the line is open. In comparison, the charity took 3,852 calls for the same period in 2021, showing a 64% increase in five years.
Since last year, there has also been a 22% annual increase in cruelty calls, with 21,117 in 2025 compared to 17,260 in 2024.
