Bluebell the German Shepherd was so malnourished people thought she was a fox (Picture: Swale Borough Council Stray Dog/SWNS)

A German Shepherd was left so neglected people thought it was a malnourished fox scavenging for food.

Pictures of the poor dog, called Bluebell, show her missing fur and clearly underweight.

Her rescuers confirmed Bluebell is microchipped, but she has never been reported missing.

She is now being looked after by Swale Borough Council Stray Dog Service in Kent.

‘This little one has now been collected and is winging her way to the kennels,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We can confirm she’s a German Shepherd, not a fox, and her name is Bluebell.

‘For now, she’ll be given some tea and a warm bed before seeing the vet in the morning.’

Bluebell was later found to have a ‘nasty looking mammary tumour’ which will be investigated.

Bluebell had missing fur, unclipped claws, and was severely underweight (Picture: Swale Borough Council Stray Dog/SWNS)

She is now being looked after by Swale Borough Council Stray Dog Service (Picture: Swale Borough Council Stray Dog/SWNS)

The spokesperson added: ‘Following on from our previous post regarding Bluebell, here are some additional photos which show her breed and the extent of her neglect.

‘As well as substantial hair loss, she’s also underweight, has long nails and a nasty looking mammary tumour which will need investigation.

‘We’ll be chasing her chip tomorrow, but she hasn’t been marked as missing or stolen.

‘If you have any information regarding this dog, please call SBC on 01795 417850 or the OOH’s service on 07795 237479.

‘If you’re the owner and there’s a genuine reason behind her condition, please reach out.’

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The poor German Shepherd had missing fur, unclipped claws, and was severely underweight.