A PUPPY found in a plastic bag covered in her own faeces and reeking of petrol was going to be set alight, according to a Winsford vet.

The petrified pup was found tied up in a plastic bag behind the Saxons pub, in Delamere Street, Winsford, by a member of staff on Friday, November 14.

Veterinarian Thomas McGowan, 46, was finishing up for the day when the puppy was brought into the Willows Veterinary Group’s Winsford surgery by dog wardens.

Mr McGowan said: “She was in a state of shock.

“When she came in she was covered in faeces and she had a chemical smell.”

He thinks the puppy, named Tiny by staff, may be a Yorkshire Terrier, around five months old.

Tiny has lost much of her fur from a skin condition called demodectic mange, which is caused by mites.

Mr McGowan added: “It is a treatable condition so there is no reason to have let Tiny get this bad. It is neglect, pure and simple.

"It is possible the smell was some kind of strong chemical to treat her skin condition. But I suspect this is not the case because that would show that the person who did it actually cared.

“I think somebody was probably about to set her on fire and got scared off.

"It makes you feel sick to your stomach. How can someone do this to a puppy? They have to be disturbed. First hand, this is probably the worst case I’ve ever seen.”

Tiny has been taken into foster care by one of the vet’s nurses and will remain there for around four months while she continues her recovery.

The vets will then assess her condition before seeking a permanent home for her.

Mr McGowan said Tiny is currently making good progress but has warned she may be part of litter that might have also been subjected to similar abuse.

The vet, who owns the Acorn Veterinary Surgery in West Kirby, the Wirral, says it is likely that whoever subjected Tiny to the vile abuse has likely abused others, and not just animals.

“There is a correlation between animal abuse and abuse between humans,” he said. “So whoever this is, there may be a child or a spouse that has been abused at their hands.

“Does this person deserve to go to jail? You better believe it.”