BOSTON -- A dog so badly neglected that she was blinded from matted fur, deaf from severe ear infections and crippled from leg abnormalities was apparently left to die on a busy road.

The dog, a mixed-breed poodle dubbed "Little Orphan Annie" by rescuers, was found by a passerby on Route 1 in South Attleborough last month, the Sun Chronicle reported. A police officer who responded to the passer-by's call stayed with the dog until an Animal Control officer arrived.

Animal Control Officer Carolyn Eaton said the dog's badly matted and moldy fur had grown over her eyes and around her legs, and her ears were so infected they were almost swollen shut.

The dog underwent hours of surgery at Central Avenue Veterinary Hospital in Seekonk to remove the matted fur. She still needs to have another operation to repair her legs.

Rescuers believe the dog was left on the highway to die because she was sick and deformed.

Donations for the dog can be made to Poodle Rescue of New England, c/o Alice O'Connor, 22 Esker Lane, Attleboro, MA, 02703. Or call 508-399-5513 or 508-233-2955.