THE condition of an Alsatian left at Animals in Distress, Ipplepen, was one of the most appalling staff have seen.The dog was taken to the animal rescue centre by two men on Thursday last week, who said they had found him at a water treatment works just outside Totnes.When a vet examined the dog, which had bits of fur missing, it was discovered he was covered in sores and cuts.Simon Veasey, the charity's fundraising and publicity officer, said that because of the sores and cuts the animal, thought to be about five-years-old, was in such a state it could not sit down. it was so thin all its ribs were showing.'It is one of the worst cases we have seen and it will be a very long road to recovery for the dog, who has been nicknamed Major by the staff.'He is very well tempered and we do not know what has happened to him, but there is no doubt it was neglect,' he said.Mr Veasey added that when he left Ipplepen on Friday it was only 50-50 that Major would pull through, but he seemed a strong dog and was improving slowly every day.The Alsatian is being treated in the rescue centre's special care dog unit, which was opened in January at a cost of £160,000.'None of the sores have proved cancerous and a few more tests are being carried out, but the likelihood is that he will make it,' said Mr Veasey.br>Supplier Trophy Pet Foods has donated the specialist food Major requires to help him fully recover.'Luckily we do not have many cases of neglect, but when we do we now have facilities to deal with them.'We have a lot of happy stories at Animals in Distress, but this is a sad story that animals are still being neglected and people need to be aware of that,' said Mr Veasey.Animals in Distress Torbay and Westcountry has a Facebook page on which keep people are being kept informed of Major's progress.