A neglected dog dumped near a a dual carriageway will have both of its eyes removed.

Vets say the unwanted pet, which is already blind due to untreated ulcers, was suffering from a chronic flea infestation and said its claws were so overgrown that they curled in around his pads.

The dog, a Lhasa Apso cross-breed, was rescued by a motorist after he saw it cowering by the A27 on the Brighton Road in Lewes.

The sick animal was taken to the Raystede Animal Centre in Ringmer who have spent the past week battling to keep the dog alive.

Nigel Mason, Raystede's manger said the man who handed the dog - named Dougal by the centre’s staff - had saved its life.

He added: “It's easy to imagine a little blind dog like that wandering onto the road and getting squashed.

“What a wonderful thing for this man to do. He was on the way to a job interview but despite this he still stopped – he is a true Good Samaritan.”

Mr Mason said the most severe injuries was in Dougal’s eyes. He said: “The likelihood is that it started out as an eye ulceration which was left untreated so it has eaten away at the eyeball over a period of weeks or even months.

“He's a lot better now than he was – he's scheduled for an operation to have his eyes removed because they're so badly damaged.”

It is thought that the dog may have been dumped by breeders who did not want to pay for the animal’s treatment.

Mr Mason said they were receiving more and more similar cases.

He said: “This little dog is very reminiscent of dogs which are kept locked-up for breeding. People might keep 100 dogs in a small environment purely to breed. They cut all the corners in terms of the dogs' welfare and they're only interested in selling the dogs on to make money.

“It's a sign of the times. People just can't afford to keep dogs at the moment. Thankfully we've been able to keep up with the increase in the number of dogs coming through our doors.

“Last month we found new homes for 40 of our dogs.”

The centre is confident that Dougal will now find a new home. Mr Mason said: “The Great British public always care for the underdog so we're quite sure someone suitable will come along and adopt him.

“He's a friendly dog with a kind soul. The staff cuddle up to him quite a lot. He would suit someone who would like to have lap dog.”