THE RSPCA has launched an appeal after a dog described as “painfully skinny” was discovered curled up on a driveway behind a bush in Essex.

Three-year-old Dogue de Bordeaux cross Roxy was found huddled by a bush on a driveway in Boxted, last Sunday morning, by local resident, Emma Fowler.

Emma took Roxy to a local veterinary surgery and vets there alerted the RSPCA as she was so emaciated they were concerned she’d been neglected for some time.

Emma said Roxy looked “starving and shockingly thin”.

Gazette: Sad - Roxy was described as “starving and shockingly thin”Sad - Roxy was described as “starving and shockingly thin” (Image: RPSCA)

“She was so sweet once she realised we were friends and we were there to help her,” she added.

“She was grateful for the attention and it was such a relief to get her to safety.”

Roxy weighed 29kg (64lb), whereas a healthy female Dogue de Bordeaux should weigh up to 25kg (55lb) more than that.

RSPCA inspector Nicky Thorne has now launched an investigation.

She said: “Roxy is painfully skinny. You can see all of her bones and every single rib. She’s just skin and bone. 

“It’s clearly taken a significant amount of time for her to get into this state, so I suspect she’s been seriously neglected."

"I want to get some answers"

Three-year-old Roxy was microchipped to a property in Halstead, and Nicky 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,” Nicky said.

Now, Nicky and the RSPCA is urging anyone who may be able to assist with the investigation to get in touch.

She said: “I’d like to hear from anyone who might recognise Roxy from the 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.”

Anyone with any information can call the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.