A chihuahua wearing a jumper was abandoned outside B and M Bargains and no owner has come forward to claim the dog.

The chihuahua, which was found tied up outside Calcot B&M on November 28, is still causing public concern with many taking to social media to spread awareness.

A post from a worker at the store said that staff had noticed the little dog at around 5 pm and had thought that their owner was still shopping.

But by 9:30 pm, the staff member said that “the poor dog was still tied up crying, shivering, and was clearly very cold.”

The dog was then taken to Castle Vets after-hours care and has since been living in a foster home. No one has come forward to claim the dog, and many fear that it has been deliberately abandoned.

On a Facebook post detailing the Chihuahua’s disappearance, one commenter updated the public stating that there have been no reports of dogs matching his description registered as missing.

Many then took to the comment section of the post to air their grievances on the number of dogs being abandoned at the moment.

One commenter said: “Poor little chap, but he has been well cared for since being found, sadly many pets are being abandoned which is heartbreaking.”

Another user questioned why the little dog was not taken to a rescue centre.

They said: “At least he was found. I just wish people would take them to a rescue Centre if they can no longer keep them.”

As previously reported, local charities have said that dog owners in Berkshire can no longer afford their pets because of the cost-of-living crisis.

They have also expressed that many rescues centres in Berkshire are at overcapacity with multiple having to turn dogs away.

Connie Cuff, 85, the owner of Pine Ridge Sanctuary, Ascot explained how difficult it is to rehome dogs at the moment due to the rising cost of vet bills.

She said: “I know one lady who was quoted £1,500 to fix her chihuahua’s tooth. It’s become ridiculous, people are being ripped off.”

“This is the reason why dogs are being passed on or dumped,” she continued. “The vets need to be more compassionate, if it wasn’t for dog owners they would be out of business.”

Ms Serena Swanston, owner of Forget Me Not Rescue, Reading, also echoed the above view.

She said: “Adoption of dogs has fallen in the UK because of cost pressures.

“The cost-of-living crisis, the XL Bully ban, and rising vet fees are all putting pressure on dog owners.”

She continued: “I know of several cases in the UK where dogs have been literally dumped.”