The NCT goes on to say that slings should be:

She weighed just 29kg (64lb), while a healthy female dog of the same breed should weigh up to 54kg (120lb) more than that. She has since been rehomed.RSPCA inspector Nicky Thorne, who launched an investigation, said: “You could see all of her bones and every single rib. She was just skin and bone.”

The RSPCA also feel fears the crisis could worsen during the winter months as more people struggle with the increase in expenditure around Christmas time.RSPCA chief inspector Ian Briggs said: “We are seeing a shocking rise in the number of calls reporting pet abandonment to our emergency line during winter.“Sadly, we expect the trend will continue as more pet owners face financial hardship at this time of year more than any other."

A woman in her 40s has died in a Valentine's Day shooting outside a village pub in Kent as police continue to search for the suspect.Kent Police said it was treating the shooting at the Three Horseshoes on Main Road, Knockholt, just after 19:00 GMT on Friday, as a murder inquiry.

The woman, who had gunshot wounds, died at the scene, officers said.

Police later recovered a vehicle that contained a gunWhile it would start by providing guidance and support on improving environmental performance or meeting targets, it would have the power to take court action if needed.

The plans feature in aThe bill would also put targets on reversing loss of wildlife into law - with a headline goal of stopping the declines in biodiversity by 2030 and for there to be "clear recovery" by 2050.

More specific targets on particular species and habitats will follow, it says.The latest stocktake of Wales' wildlife in 2023 revealed what conservationists branded as nature loss on a "devastating scale", with one in six species at risk of disappearing.