THESE were the scenes as an abandoned and injured Shetland Pony was rescued from the side of a Worcestershire road.

The pony was spotted by two members of the public wandering along Hanley Road near Upton Upon Severn with a leg injury.

The RSPCA rescued him, taking him to the vet's for emergency treatment, and an appeal has been launched to find the owner.

RSPCA inspector Emily Cheeseman said: "This poor pony had a nasty degloving injury to his front leg which was dripping blood and causing him difficulties walking.

"Apart from that, he was in good condition and recently clipped as well.

"However, there was no microchip, so we’ve been trying to find a possible owner but sadly we’ve had no luck so far, leading me to believe he could have been dumped.

"He had to be transported to the vets for treatment and stitches straight away and unfortunately due to the severity of his injury he's still at the equine hospital but we’re really hopeful he’ll pull through.

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"We’re calling him Axl as it’s a little bit like Axilla, which is the correct term for where his injury was on the body, and Axl sounds like a little rocker pony which certainly suits his hair style!

"I’m hoping that someone will know who he belongs to, or have seen something that might help us to trace the person or people who dumped this poor pony.

"Anyone with any information should call us on our inspector appeal line 0300 123 8018 and ask to leave a message for me."

The RSPCA is bracing itself for a surge in abandoned animals and fears the fallout from the Covid crisis could see more owners struggling to keep their pets.

Typically, the charity sees abandonment peak in the summer months.

Between June and August 2019, 16,519 animals were reported abandoned to the RSPCA which accounts for 30 per cent of all animals reported abandoned that year.

During the summer months the charity received 149 reports about dumped animals in Worcestershire.

During the three months since lockdown began, the RSPCA has received reports about 3,492 abandoned animals - about 40 calls a day - including 1,509 dogs, 1,165 cats, 299 small furries such as hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets and 275 exotic pets.

Dermot Murphy, head of the RSPCA’s animal rescue teams, said: "During lockdown we’ve seen pets become a source of comfort and support for people and it appears many people have taken on new animals.

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"Fortunately during this time we’ve dealt with fewer abandoned pets however we are worried that as lockdown eases, people return to work, go on holidays or struggle financially we will be facing a massive surge of animal abandonments.

"Sadly summer tends to bring with it a surge in abandoned animals.

"We don’t know why but it may be a combination of the warmer weather making people feel less guilty about dumping a pet to fend for themselves and people doing away on holiday abandoning pets instead of arranging care for them."

What people can do if they’re struggling to care for their pets:

● Ask friends and family for help

● Contact your vet about payment plans, discounts or vouchers for neutering or any other treatment needed

● Get in touch with local rehoming charities for advice

● Visit the RSPCA website for welfare advice

To help the RSPCA continue to rescue animals that have been abandoned this summer, please visit www.rspca.org.uk/abandonments