John Warwick with the dog left abandoned at the gate of his animal sanctuary Picture Ref: 78690-56WHEN Deana Warwick drove to the animal sanctuary she runs with her husband in Wootton Bassett, she had a big surprise.

For there, tied to the main gate, was a dog.

Her husband John said: "He jumped up at her and licked her. He was full of kisses. He's a really nice friendly dog."

It turns out that the dog, which is not micro-chipped, is a Staffordshire bull terrier Labrador cross.

John reckons he's about three years old.

He said: "He's a very lively dog, but he hasn't had a great deal of training. He's bright and he will learn."

The future is uncertain for the latest resident at the sanctuary.

John said: "We'll be contacting the council and seeing what the dog warden says.

"If they don't have room then we will keep him and try to find a home for him."

But although John has a lot of affection for the dog, he has rather less admiration for whoever abandoned it by his gate.

He said: "I don't know why people don't just pick up the phone and ring us.

"If they have a problem and can't find anywhere to take their pet, they should just talk to us.

"It's very thoughtless. And what if the dog had chewed through its lead and gone off into the road? It could have been very dangerous if it had run out in front of a car.

Swindon's dog warden, Alison Waine, said: "We have been given the details of this dog, and are checking them against our lists of stolen dogs.

"This sort of thing is not very common. Usually we pick a stray dog, and very often the owner comes forward straight away.

"We would suggest people contact an animal sanctuary so that they can be prepared, and not just leave it lined up next to a main road.

"Owners should ensure their dog has a tag on its collar with the owner's name and address."

Swindon and District Animal Sanctuary can be reached on 07990 868887.