A paralysed five-week-old puppy has passed away after being dumped on Christmas Day.

Authorities in the UK are investigating after the animal was discovered on the 25th of December in the city of Bradford. The dog was found with its back legs paralysed in a cardboard box in an alleyway by a member of the public. The rescuer cared for him for two days before contacting the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) on the 27th. The crossbreed pup was "in a terrible state," according to RSPCA Inspector Dave Colgate, who collected him and brought him to the vet. "He was collapsed at the rear and was dragging his back legs. It seems as though his back end was paralysed and he was unable to use his legs," he said. "Goodness knows how long the poor pup had been in this state - he may have been born like this or could have deteriorated as he grew." Inspector Colgate said he believed that the dog was abandoned by a breeder who realised that the dog would need expensive veterinary care and probably wouldn't sell. "It's so sad that we weren't able to save this little puppy but I'm just glad he's no longer sat inside a cardboard box cold, frightened and in pain. "At least he felt love and compassion in his final hours. "To abandon this poor puppy - who was too young to be away from his mum and siblings - is disgraceful, but to do so on Christmas Day with him in dire need of veterinary attention is despicable."