A dog has been found tied up and abandoned in a lay-by on a remote country road.

The female Staffordshire bull terrier was discovered by two members of the public on a back road in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday.

The dog, which has been named Eva, was found tied up on a remote road in Garlogie near Westhill. The pair who found her then handed her into vets.

The local vet then handed Eva to animal rescue workers at the Scottish SPCA rehoming centre in Drumoak. An investigation has now been launched to trace Eva's owner.

Centre manager Graeme Innes said: "The people who handed Eva in to the vets said they found her tied up to a wooden post in a lay-by on a back road in Garlogie near Westhill.

"Eva is a really friendly little dog and she appears to be in good health and condition. She was wearing a pink coloured collar attached to an orange lead but she isn't micro-chipped.

"We are asking anyone who recognises her or knows who may have owned her to contact our animal helpline on 03000 999 999."

Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.