An animal charity is attempting to trace the owner of a dog that was abandoned at a railway station with its belongings in a suitcase.
The male Shar-Pei crossbreed was discovered tied to a railing outside Ayr station on 2 January.
The suitcase included the dog’s pillow, toy, food bowl and food.
The Scottish SPCA traced a previous owner through the dog’s microchip but were told it was sold in 2013 to someone they did not have details for.
Inspector Stewart Taylor said: “The dog is micro-chipped and we were able to find out his name is Kai.
“We contacted the ownerregistered to the microchip, who stated they had sold Kai on Gumtree in 2013.
‘Cruel incident’
“Unfortunately they could not tell us the address of the person who bought him.”
Insp Taylor said the case highlighted the potential consequences of selling an animal online.
He said buyers often included people acting on impulse who knew very little about animals.
He added: “Regardless of the fact Kai was left with his belongings, this was still a cruel incident and we are keen to identify the person responsible.
“If anyone can help we would ask them to get in touch as soon as possible.
“Kai is around two to three years old and is a lovely dog with a nice nature. We will look after him until we can find him a permanent and loving home.”
The charity reminded pet owners that abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.