FRIGHTENED dogs found scared and malnourished and living in appalling conditions in a home in Essex have been rescued after reportedly being abused.

RSPCA workers are understood to have visited a property in Harlow on November 4, discovering four fragile dogs all in a horrendous condition.

Photos obtained by Spotted in Harlow have since been shared publicly on the group's Facebook community page and show the dreadful state of the poor pooches.

In the images the dogs can be seen looking malnourished, extremely skinny, and terribly frightened, all whilst living in abysmal and unfit living conditions.

Echo: Terrible - Two of the dogs were found in cagesTerrible - Two of the dogs were found in cages (Image: Spotted in Harlow)

Echo: Canine - All of the dogs look scared in the imagesCanine - All of the dogs look scared in the images (Image: Spotted in Harlow)

Two of the dogs appear to be locked in cages place onto of each other which are surrounded by dirt and faeces, while another is seen in the kitchen area cowering with fear. 

Bosses at the charity Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was not able to speak about the specific incident due to data protection laws.

They did, however, praise anyone who reports suspected animal abuse.

A spokesman said: “Unfortunately we are unable to discuss complaints about specific people and what action may have been taken.

“We understand how frustrating that is for animal lovers but releasing information could prejudice a future investigation or could lead to us being fined.

Echo: Terrible - The dogs looked malnourishedTerrible - The dogs looked malnourished (Image: Spotted in Harlow)

Echo: Hope - The dogs have now been rescued from the awful situationHope - The dogs have now been rescued from the awful situation (Image: Spotted in Harlow)

“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare."

Harlow Council has said it is aware of the situation.

A spokesman for the council said: “We have been made aware of the circumstances regarding the dogs.

“The RSPCA have been informed and the dogs have been removed and are receiving urgent care.

“Any action taken against a tenant due to animal cruelty would be taken by RSPCA or agencies of that type, as this is not covered within our tenancy agreement."

The dogs are now believed to be currently under the care of Fripps Farm, an animal rescue centre based in Great Dunmow which is owned by former model and animal lover, Jodie Marsh.

The farm was founded by Jodie in 2020 and aims to help rehome animals and give them the best possible life.