Shock and anger as ten dogs are dumped on a busy Borders road

An investigation has been launched after the animals were found roaming on the loose on the A68 near Jedburgh, while others were shut away inside a nearby derelict building.

The horrendous state of some of the dogs has shocked experienced welfare officers who say the animals were in such an “appalling condition” they are still trying to establish what breed they are.

Now the public is being asked to come forward to identify the dogs.

The welfare charity Scottish SPCA was alerted to the incident on Saturday after the dogs were rounded up by staff from nearby Arthurshiel Rescue Centre at St Boswells.

Scottish SPCA inspector Jenny Scott said: “The dogs were found in an appalling condition.

“They are so matted that at present it’s difficult to tell exactly what breed they are, but we think they are some sort of poodle cross.

“The dogs were also filthy and emaciated.

“They are nervous around humans and don’t know how to walk on leads.

“We’d like to find out who these animals belong to and how they came to be in the area. If anyone recognises them, please contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”

A spokesperson for Arthurshiel Rescue Centre, where the dogs were initially cared for, has outlined the condition the animals were found in at the weekend.

They said: “Saturday was a very busy day. We got a call about these dogs on the A68 so we went along to collect them.

“When we got there there were members of the public who had managed to get leads on three of the dogs, the last one being caught at about 3pm.

“They were scared, which was to be expected, but after a few hours in the kennels they seemed to calm down and show their personalities. We had them until Monday afternoon when they were taken to SPCA’s own centre.”

Members of the public have expressed their outrage at the treatment of the dogs with posts on various social media sites.

Mary Hooper wrote: “Heartbreaking. How can anyone treat them like this? I hope they find loving homes now.”

Hazel Morris added: “This breaks my heart. Just give me five minutes with the scumbags and they won’t be able to do anything to anyone. I am not a violent person but animal cruelty is just the lowest of the low.”

“So sad. Hope they manage to trust humans, be loved and have a happy ending”, posted Gary Jackson.