An investigation has been launched after a man was filmed dragging a dog along the street. A young woman was sitting in her car when she spotted the man yanking the little Shih Tzu by the lead along the pavement.
The upsetting footage has now gone viral after being shared on social media over the weekend. Now the RSPCA and the police are asking for help to identify the man responsible, StokeonTrentLive reports.
The short video shows the man - wearing a grey short sleeve t-shirt, black Nike trainers, black socks and navy knee-length Adidas shorts - tugging on the pup's collar as it lies seemingly exhausted on the pavement on Duncalf Street in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
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But when it refuses to get up, the man can be seen pulling it down the road by a lead for several yards. The woman who was videoing the incident can be heard saying: "What the f**k, what the actual f**k? Is that a f**king joke. What the f**k. Oh my God, I'm going to have to get out the car."
Sharing the video on Facebook, she added: "Wouldn’t normally post stuff like this, but I’ve just rang the RSPCA who were useless, and I know the police don’t care about animals, so I’ve just witnessed someone dragging their dog up the bank.
"I tried to video as much as I can, if anyone knows this man please can you report him or let someone know that the dog is ok?!?! I did shout out my car window to tell him to pick the dog up but he literally told me to f off."
Staffordshire Police confirmed they were aware of the video which has been blurred for legal reasons. A force spokesman said: "Officers were notified of a video circulating on social media on Saturday whereby a man was recorded being cruel to a dog on Duncalf Street in Burslem.
"The man, who is described as white and was wearing a grey short sleeve t-shirt, black Nike trainers, black socks and navy knee-length Adidas shorts, was seen dragging a suspected Shih Tzu dog along the pavement. The video was referred to the RSPCA who are investigating."
The RSPCA is asking for anyone who recognises the man to get in touch. A spokesman said: "The RSPCA is aware of this and would urge anyone with any further information on this to contact us on 0300 1234 999. We rely on members of the public to be our eyes and ears and we are very grateful to anyone who reports any concerns to us."
