A DOG suffered substantial injuries after being tied to a rock and thrown into a river.
In an unimaginable act of animal cruelty, the German Shepherd was tossed into the River Trent in Nottingham, England, attached by rope to a heavy rock.
The dog, named Bella, was seen struggling in the water by a passerby, who heroically jumped into the water to save her.
Police were immediately called and Bella was taken to a local vet where she's received treatment.
Officers later described the incident as "evil and nasty".
It's been reported that Bella is distressed and very unwell, but is showing signs of encouragement following a day of care in the hands of the vets.
They discovered she was microchipped and it's understood that her owners have been contacted.
A brave member of the public rescued a dog that was tied to a heavy rock and was drowning in the River Trent this morning.
Officers are appealing for information from anyone who saw the incident involving the Belgian Shepherd, near Long Lane, Farndon, at around 8.45am today. pic.twitter.com/T5VvOUiMxC— Notts Police (@nottspolice) January 6, 2020
According to Euro Weekly News, a 31-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man have been arrested in connection with the incident, though it isn't clear whether they are Bella's owners.
Nottingham Police posted photos of Bella, and of the stone she was tied to, on Twitter - sparking public fury at the shocking mistreatment of the poor animal.
"I’m crying. this is absolutely disgusting, that poor poor dog.," one user wrote.
"Absolutely disgusting. That poor animal. If only this could be done to the person responsible with nobody to save them. I’d take that dog right now & give it a home where it would be cherished & loved unconditionally. Beautiful dog. Disgusting humans," another wrote.
PC Adam Pace of Nottingham Police said: “This was an evil and nasty thing to do to this poor dog and we are making every effort to find out who is responsible.
"We are still appealing for information about the circumstances of the incident, including how many people were involved.
"If you saw anything, or have CCTV or dash-cam footage in the area, please get in touch on 101, quoting incident number 103 of January 6 2020".
