Volunteer Simon Lamb comforts the dog that was dumped outside the vet's surgery in Plaistow

Two animal lovers are desperately trying to help find a home for a dog that was cruelly dumped by her owner, who left the animal tied up to railings outside a vet’s surgery then walked off.

Pet owners Simon Lamb and Lorna Gowers were at a branch of Goddard Veterinary Group in Barking Road, Plaistow, when an agitated man walked in with a Staffie and demanded the staff take her in.

“The veterinary nurse tried to calm the man down, but he insisted on leaving the dog,” said Lorna, who was in the waiting room as the drama unfolded on February 28.

“He said that the people where he lived were not being very nice to the dog while he was at work and at this point he tied the small female Staffordshire bull terrier to the railings and left.

“The staff were very worried about the dog as they don’t have any boarding facilities - if no other boarding could be found for her the only alternatives would be to put her on the street or to put her to sleep.”

The staff “frantically” tried to find a temporary home for the dog, Lorna added, and finally managed to get kennel space at a branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in central London.

Simon – who volunteers for the East London RSPCA along with Lorna - stayed on until late into the evening to wait for other volunteers to collect the pooch.

No details are known about the dog, not even her name, and nothing is known about the owner, who is believed to be from Eastern Europe.

The RSPCA are now looking for a new home for the animal.

“The message we want to send out is please don’t get a pet unless you have permanent accommodation in the UK and where you have written permission from your landlord to have a pet,” Lorna said.

Anyone who wants to adopt the dog should visit call the RSPCA on 07958 578 151 or visit www.rspca.org.uk to find out more about animals needing new homes.