Dying terrier dumped at roadside

Tilly was starved when she arrived at the centre

A tiny dog with cancer was left to die at the side of a busy dual carriageway in Worcestershire.

The Yorkshire terrier, which has been named Tilly, had been tied inside a sack and left out in the cold on the A449 Hartlebury to Kidderminster road.

A sharp-eyed motorist spotted the sack moving and the sick dog was taken to Rosedene Animal Welfare Centre in Walsall where it is being cared for.

Staff say Tilly arrived starved, confused and suffering from cold.

its clear she has not been cared for for a very long time Anita Winstone

The nine-year-old terrier is covered in cancerous lumps and even with treatment, is only expected to live for 12 months.

Anita Winstone, manager of the Rosedene Centre, told BBC News: "It was heartbreaking to see the condition she was in.

"You could feel every bone in her body, her fur was matted beyond belief and her claws were dreadful.

"I don't know how long she had been at the side of the road for, but its clear she has not been cared for for a very long time.

"If the owners had got her treatment when the tumour started to grow, she would not be in this state.

"But the tumour grew and then spread and now its too late."

The centre appealed for a new home for Tilly and were overwhelmed by the response they received.

Ms Winstone said: "It was such a difficult decision because we had so many calls about her but in the end we went with experience."

Tilly's new owners, who live in Dudley, have 25 years' experience with Yorkshire terriers and had a dog with the same cancer symptoms as Tilly.