Five dogs found abandoned in rural road in Leicestershire

Five dogs have been found abandoned in Leicestershire, prompting an appeal from the RSPCA.

The charity said it was contacted by members of the public who came across the dogs wandering in Bradgate Road, near Newtown Linford, at about 22:00 GMT on Monday.

Four of the dogs were captured and taken to a vet, but a fifth - a small, white terrier type - remains missing.

All of the canines are microchipped but not registered with databases.

The dogs are now in RSPCA care, including a black and white five-year-old female border collie, which was in a "very poor body condition" and had a neck injury.

Inspector Helen Smith said: "The microchips haven't been traceable so they're either out-of-date or are foreign chips that are registered overseas."

She added she fears this could be the start of a "welfare crisis" the charity had predicted after pet acquisition surged during the coronavirus pandemic.

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