Dog abandoned at train station with belongings in suitcase

A dog was dumped at Ayr railway station with a suitcase containing his belongings.

The male shar-pei crossbreed was discovered tied to a railing outside the station on Friday. Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after the dog was abandoned with its belongings, including a pillow, toy, food bowl and food.

Inspector Stewart Taylor of Scottish SPCA said: "The dog is microchipped and we were able to find out his name is Kai.

"We contacted the owner registered to the microchip, who stated they had sold Kai on Gumtree in 2013. Unfortunately they could not tell us the address of the person who bought him.

"This case highlights the potential consequences of selling an animal online as it often leads to the impulse buying of pets that people know very little about.

He added: "Regardless of the fact Kai was left with his belongings, this was still a cruel incident and we are keen to identify the person responsible. If anyone can help we would ask them to get in touch as soon as possible.

"Kai is around two to three years old and is a lovely dog with a nice nature. We will look after him until we can find him a permanent and loving home."

Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.

In 2012, a tourist was fined for attempting to abandon her own dog during a trip to the north Essex coast.

The woman, who was staying at a holiday park, contacted Tendring District Council's Dog Warden team and claimed she had found the dog on Jaywick beach.

The pet was picked up and taken to the council's holding kennels in Weeley.

Little did the woman know, however, that her husband had actually micro-chipped the pet, and wardens soon discovered that she was actually its owner.

The dog was taken back to the holiday park in St Osyth, where, after initially denying it, she admitted it was hers.

One of the council's dog wardens, Beverly Wallis, told eadt.co.uk: "The dog had been micro-chipped and although there was a different surname and address, we managed to do a bit of old-fashioned detective work and trace the woman to the caravan.

"I think she was a bit surprised when we returned within 18 hours, and she will get an invoice for £82 for our time."