A WOOD Green animal shelter has released footage of the moment a “horrifically” underweight dog was abandoned on its doorstep.

CCTV cameras captured the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's owner tying up the pet outside Wood Green Animal Shelter on January 27 before walking away and leaving her.

The four-year-old dog, who has been named Honey by shelter staff, weighed just 22 pounds instead a normal 38, and had painful sores on her back legs.

The charity, which took in 354 animals last month, said Honey was shivering and terrified when a staff member found her, and released the footage to raise awareness of the high numbers of pets currently being abandoned.

Katie Wickins, manager of the Lordship Lane shelter, said: “It is disappointing that this individual not only dumped this dog on our doorstep without providing us with a full history which proves invaluable to the charity when it comes to assessing the dog for re-homing, but more importantly, that this dog was allowed to get in such an horrific state.

“Honey’s extreme weight loss and pressure sores have not developed over night. It is unacceptable for anyone to allow their pet to suffer in this way.”

Honey has been transferred to another of the charity's shelters, in Cambridgeshire, and is on a special five meals-a-day diet to help her to gain weight and recover.

The CCTV video of Honey being abandoned can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCy9vUVsHFA