Cyclists were out enjoying a beautiful evening of scenery while cycling through a forest.

Suddenly they encountered a heartbreaking scene; a dog tied to a tree so tightly it could barely move its head and so weak with hunger it could barely stand.

When cyclists saw the poor dog they could could not believe their eyes. Some heartless person had bound the dog to a tree in a deserted forest area.

The dog was tied up so tightly, she could barely move.

It is unclear how long the dog had been there when she was found by the cyclists. But she was very weak and could barely move. As you can see in the video, her ribs have started to show so was probably without food for a good few days.

Whoever was responsible for this cruel act must have known that the dog would starve to death.

Thankfully, the cyclists were in the area and saw the dog; she was too weak to bark.

They approached her very carefully; she must have been so tired and afraid that she didn’t know how to react when they approached her.

A couple of the men cautiously pet her and let her smell their scent to help them gain her trust, while the rest offer her food. The food seems to calm her down and while she’s distracted one of the cyclists cut her free.

Several animal organizations in Portugal have reported on the terrible case and praised the cyclists, hailing them heroes for rescuing this poor hound.