A dog that was found so skinny she was just "skin and bone" is thought to have been neglected for a long time. 

Roxy, a three-year-old douge de Bordeaux cross, was found huddled by a bush on a driveway in Boxted, between Sudbury and Colchester, on Sunday, April 21 by Emma Fowler. 

An appeal has been launched by the RSPCA to find her owners. 

East Anglian Daily Times: curled up behind bushcurled up behind bush (Image: RSPCA)

RSPCA inspector Nicky Thorne said: "Emma was incredibly concerned about Roxy as she was cowering behind a bush and seemed very frightened. It looked as though she’d given up.

“Emma approached her but she growled so she got some neighbours to help and they took her some treats. As soon as she’d munched on a few biscuits, Roxy decided Emma was her best friend.

"Roxy is painfully skinny; you can see all of her bones and every single rib. She’s just skin and bone. 

“It’s clearly taken a significant amount of time for her to get into this state so I suspect she’s been seriously neglected."

Ms Fowler took Roxy to a veterinary surgery where vets notified the RSPCA because she was so skinny and were concerned she had been neglected for some time. 

She said: "I was shocked to see Roxy curled up on our drive but I’m glad she found a sunny spot on our drive to await rescue, and I’m very grateful to the vets for taking her in on a Sunday.

“She looked starving and shockingly thin but she was so sweet once she realised we were friends and we were there to help her."

Roxy was microchipped to a property in Halstead, and the RSPCA has been following up with her previous owners who say she was rehomed in September.

When the RSPCA attended the property, the people living there said she was rehomed last year by a man named Rob.

Anyone with any information is being asked to contact the RSPCA's appeal line on 03001238018.