An abandoned dog found dumped by the Royal Military Canal in Hamstreet is now making a steady recovery at the vets.

The cocker spaniel was found in a desperate state, with wounds on her body and injuries to her eyes which left her partially blinded.

Dog walker Marc Buss made the discovery while he was out on Tuesday evening, and immediately called Smart Dogs in Hamstreet to help check her over.

He said: “I saw this other dog on the side of the canal with no owner in sight, so I grabbed it and could see it was in an absolute state.

“I don’t think she had been there long and had probably been dumped within minutes because another dog walker was walking back and said she hadn’t been there earlier.

“She had no microchip and hadn’t been neutered. She was in a very poor condition, she looked skinny and as though she might be blind.

“She looked really old, but apparently is only about three years old, and she had really bad wounds. I think it’s just disgusting that she could be left like that.

“Once I saw her I was thinking that if I saw her owner walking to pick her up, there was no chance they were getting her back. I was horrified by it, it was awful.

“Being a dog owner myself I had all the emotions. I can’t imagine my dog being left in that sort of state.”

Mr Buss said the dog was taken to the Barrow Hill Veterinary Hospital in Maidstone Road in Ashford on Tuesday night.

He added that the search for an owner had started, with one person from the Isle of Wight believing the dog was one which had been stolen from them two years ago.

At the vets head nurse Katie Mackintosh said they had chosen to name her Poppet and said they have been inundated with phone calls from people concerned about her.

But she said Poppet was not the missing pet belonging to the person from theIsle of Wight.

She said: “Poppet is a lovely little girl and in fine spirits. She is very friendly and enjoying being pampered and loved at our hospital.

“She is a cocker spaniel type, but we are unable to tell if she is purebred. She is suffering with a skin condition which is being treated.

“Her skin is quite thickened and swollen at the moment but now that she is receiving treatment, it is already beginning to look better. Poppet has obviously been bred from several times.”

She added that they are not looking to rehome Poppet at this stage, and asked that people only call the veterinary hospital if they know where she has come from.