Police are investigating whether a dog was thrown from a cliff after its upside-down kennel was discovered by a bushwalker in the Illawarra.
The badly injured and emaciated Australian bulldog was heard yelping from inside the kennel at the bottom of the Mount Ousley escarpment about 8:30am yesterday.
Police Acting Inspector Gerard Maloney said it had to be winched up a 10-metre cliff face before it was taken to a local vet.
"Wollongong police attended along with our police rescue unit and we were assisted by the SES," he said.
"The dog was winched up the cliff face and subsequently taken to on the back of the SES truck to a local vet.
"The dog was in quite an emaciated condition, it was in very poor health, it appeared that it had been suffering for some time with pre-existing health conditions as well."
Mr Maloney said the dog had to be euthanased due to its injuries.
"The animal is with the local vet at the moment and RSPCA will conduct a post-mortem on the dog," he said.
Call for dash cam footage
Officers have taken the dog's kennel for forensic examination and are urging anybody with information to come forward.
"Police are looking for any witnesses who may have been in the area around that time or earlier in the morning," Inspector Maloney said.
"We are looking for any dash cam footage that people might have.
"We believe that the dog was dumped three or four hours prior to 8:30am."
Dumping a dog is a criminal offence that can carry a prison sentence in New South Wales.
RSPCA NSW has been contacted for comment.
