An inquiry has been launched after a man was filmed dragging a defenseless dog down a street in Stoke-on-Trent. A young woman was sitting in her car when she spotted the man dragging the baby Shih Tzu by his leash along Duncalf Street in Burslem.
The disturbing footage has since gone viral after being shared on social media over the weekend. Now the RSPCA and Staffordshire Police are asking for help to identify who is responsible.
The short video shows the man – dressed in a gray short-sleeved T-shirt, black Nike sneakers, black socks and navy blue Adidas knee-length shorts – pulling on the puppy’s collar as he walks, seemingly exhausted, on the sidewalk near the intersection with him located on Lyndhurst Street. But when it refuses to get up, the man can be seen dragging it several meters down the street on a leash.
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The woman can be heard saying, “What the hell, what the hell? Is that a fucking joke. What the hell. Oh my god, I gotta get it out of the car.”
Sharing the video on Facebook, she added: “I wouldn’t normally post stuff like this but I just called the RSPCA which were useless and I know the police don’t care about animals so I just saw someone I’ve tried to film as much as possible, if anyone knows this man can you please report him or let someone know the dog is ok?!?! I yelled out my car window to tell him to pick up the dog but he literally told me to go away.”
Staffordshire Police confirmed they were aware of the video, which StokeonTrentLive had to blur for legal reasons. A spokesman for the force said: “Officers were briefed on Saturday of a video circulating on social media of a man being cruel to a dog on Duncalf Street in Burslem.
“The man, who is described as white and wearing a gray short-sleeved T-shirt, black Nike trainers, black socks and navy blue Adidas knee-length shorts, was seen dragging a suspected Shih Tzu dog across the sidewalk. The video has been referred to the RSPCA, which is conducting an investigation.”
The RSPCA is asking anyone who recognizes the man to come forward. A spokesman said: “The RSPCA is aware of this and would urge anyone with 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 does report any concerns to us.”
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