The BC SPCA is looking for the person who left a small dog suffering from a large head tumour tied up to the Vancouver shelter's door Friday night.

Kim Monteith said veterinary staff discovered the six-year-old Maltese-poodle mix as they were leaving work at the end of the day.

"She was there, not with a collar, just with a leash loosely wrapped around her neck, a little pink sweater, a booty, [and] a bandage covering her big tumour, which was the size of an egg," Monteith said.

With no owner in sight, veterinarians examined the dog and decided the tumour required emergency surgery. The dog also has an ulcer in one eye, dental problems and other signs of neglect.

Monteith doesn't know who abandoned the dog, but she has her suspicions as to why they did it.

"I think we all 'get it' when we are financially strapped, but we still have to take care of them and find some way, whether that is giving them to the SPCA to care for or borrowing some money or asking your vet for assistance — just anything," she said.

"You can not leave them like that. It is just not acceptable."

Monteith said the SPCA is hoping to find the dog's owner and learn what happened leading up to the abandonment.

Staff attended to some areas where the dog's hair was matted, cut the overgrown nails on her paws, and gave the dog a festive name.

"Holly" is expected to make a full recovery.