Story By: Bartosz Staszewski, Sub Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: CEN

WARNING: DISTRESSING AND GRAPHIC CONTENT

A shocked passerby has found this poor dead St Bernard dog floating in a river with its back legs tied together and part of its tail chopped off.

The shocking discovery was made in the Vistula river, in the Polish city of Plock in the Masovian Voivodeship region by an unnamed passerby.

The concerned resident notified local animal rescue organisation TOZ Plock who travelled to the scene.

Pictures Credit: CEN/@tozplock

The organisation wrote on social media: “After arriving at the site, a shocking scene appeared in front of us. The dog was drifting in the Vistula river with its hind legs tied up with string. The other end of the string was tied to metal meshing which is used to strengthen the riverbank.”

Local media report the young dog had been tortured before its death, with its tail chopped off.

TOZ Plock believe the dog was still alive when it was thrown into the river, writing on social media: “Why should a dead dog be restrained and tied with a rope to the shore?”

The police and animal rescue specialists arrived at the scene but could not find a microchip or anything else which could help identify the dog or show if it had an owner.

TOZ Plock added on social media: “If you do not help find the degenerate who did it, he will be unpunished. We are kindly asking for people to share this post. Make this news public on Facebook, talk about it. It was a big dog. Don’t be indifferent.”

A private donor has offered an unspecified cash reward for anybody who provides useful information in the case.

The case is ongoing.

The St Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the western Alps in Italy and Switzerland. They were originally bred for rescue by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border who acquired their first dogs between 1660 and 1670.