'Sorry for resorting to this' - Dog abandoned with note on the Wirral
'Spud' was dumped in his crate in a field
Last updated 18th Aug 2025
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a “gentle natured” dog was abandoned in a crate with a heartbreaking letter.
Spud, a young Staffordshire bull terrier cross, was found by a member of the public in an entrance to a field at Frankby Stiles in Frankby, Wirral, at about midday on Tuesday 29 July.
A handwritten note alongside him said he wouldn’t walk on a lead or go downstairs and hadn’t been out of the house for a year.
A nearby charity, Jackson’s Animal Rescue, was advised to take Spud to a Chester-based veterinary practice after he was kindly brought into them by the finder.
The letter writer said they had owed Spud, who was a “really loving house dog,” for about a year, but they were not able to “give him the life he deserves,” and had been trying to rehome him without success “for weeks”.
It finished by saying: “Really am sorry for resorting to this.”
It comes as data from the RSPCA's Animal Kindness Index, amid the ongoing cost of living crisis reveals more than half of pet owners (52%) are worried about being able to afford vet bills. Pet insurance (33%), training (23%), bedding and grooming (20%) and food (19%) remain other economic concerns for pet owners. And beyond financial pressures, behavioural issues in pets became the top cause of people regretting getting an animal - with some 14% of owners admitting they have regretted getting their pet.
Spud was examined and found to have long claws that were growing into his pads, some fur loss and a low body condition score. Because of his poor health the RSPCA was contacted and he was then taken to the charity’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital by Animal Rescue Officer Lucy Welch for further assessment and treatment.
Lucy said: “Spud is a lovely, gentle natured dog. All he wanted to do was sit on my lap and have a cuddle and be showered with affection. He was very polite to the other dogs he saw at the hospital and walked really nicely on a lead when I took him to my van.
“His overgrown claws are an indication he’d probably not had enough exercise. They were growing into his pads which were red and sore - possibly from urine staining - and he would have been left feeling very uncomfortable.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the person who found Spud and took him to a place of safety, to Jackson’s Animal Rescue for kindly transporting him for initial treatment, and to the veterinary teams who provided wonderful care.
“Being on his own in a crate in an unfamiliar environment would have been a distressing experience for Spud and it’s heartbreaking to think of him being left to fend for himself.
“We’d plead with people to seek help and advice from appropriate organisations if they are experiencing difficulties and not to abandon their pets in vulnerable situations like this. It was a remote location and we could be looking at any number of possible scenarios had he not been found.”
Spud, who is thought to be aged around four to five years old, is now being fostered by a veterinary nurse. He was microchipped but the registered phone number didn’t work, and enquiries as to who he belonged to are continuing.
Lucy added: “Our Animal Kindness Index showed us that costs remain a concern for many pet owners - while issues like pet behaviour can be another challenge - but, whatever the reason, abandoning an animal like this is never acceptable. There’s help out there, and the RSPCA website - including our pet care advice and cost of living hub - is a one-stop shop to help owners who may be struggling financially.”
Anyone with first-hand information about the incident is urged to contact the RSPCA’s Inspectorate appeal line, in confidence, on 0300 123 8018 quoting reference number 1590843.