A dog, severely emaciated and as “thin as a skeleton,” was discovered discarded along a popular footpath in Leeds, according to statements from RSPCA inspectors today.

The dog, a 10-year-old tan and white Staffordshire Bull Terrier affectionately named ‘X,’ was found by a passerby who was walking through a stretch of scrubland near Bruntcliffe Road in Morley around noon on Wednesday, January 11.

Authorities are now urging anyone with information about the dog’s origins to come forward and contact the RSPCA immediately.

Inspector Kris Walker described the heartbreaking condition of the animal: “This poor dog was so gaunt he resembled a skeleton. The woman who found him was understandably distraught.

“A veterinarian who examined him later believed he had been dead for approximately 48 hours before he was discovered – suggesting that his frail body had been discarded there post-mortem.

“This poor dog had evidently suffered from severe neglect and starvation. The extent of his suffering is truly devastating.”