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A "starving dog" which chewed through its tail after being abandoned is ready to be rehomed after recovering from its ordeal, the RSPCA said.

The dog, named Rodney, was left behind when its owner moved out of a property in Liverpool, the charity said.

It was found emaciated locked in a soaking wet outdoor kennel and was taken into the care of the RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch.

Officers said they were looking to find the dog a home in West Yorkshire.

The four-year-old lurcher was found by an estate agent who visited the property and was taken to an animal hospital in Manchester for treatment.

"His bones were protruding and his tail had also been left badly damaged as a result of him biting it, possibly through stress" RSPCA Inspector Pamela Bird said.

"He also had sores on his legs caused by laying down in the damp kennel."

But despite half of Rodney's tail later being amputated, "he still has the capacity to wag it," the inspector said.

"It was later discovered Rodney had been left in the kennel alone for at least three weeks, with visits from his owner to feed him taking place just every few days," she added.

However, Gena Cameron, branch administrator, at the RSPCA's Leeds and Wakefield branch, said Rodney was now "full of life and ready for his forever home".

"He now has half a tail but still enthusiastically wags it [and] he is a lovable lad who loves nothing more than a head tickle," she added.