A "FRIGHTENED" Staffordshire bull terrier was abandoned outside a public toilet on Thursday night.

RSPCA officials have rescued the dog, which was left tied up outside the men's toilets in Boscombe Cliff Road.

Members of the public said the brown and white staffie - who has since been renamed Georgie - had been tied up for around three hours.

Animal collection officer Sue Brooks said the dog had no ID tag and wasn't microchipped.

“Georgie was a little bewildered but is in good condition. She was wearing an ill-fitting muzzle and had been tied up with a rope lead to the downpipe coming off the guttering around the toilet block," Sue said.

“She seems really friendly and was pleased to see me.”

Sue left a poster on a nearby information board. Georgie has been temporarily rehomed at the RSPCA's Ashley Heath centre near Ringwood.

Animal welfare officer Jo Blackburn is investigating the incident as an abandonment.

She said: “Unfortunately we are seeing this all too often - dogs tied up to fences or posts and dumped, or other pets shut inside cages or boxes and dumped like rubbish on the street.

“It’s just not acceptable to leave a dog like this and I’d like to hear from anyone who might recognise her or know who is responsible for abandoning her.

“Anyone with information should get in touch by calling our appeal line on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for me.”

If the dog isn't claimed by her owner, she'll be rehomed.