Woman, 31, is arrested after dog found dumped in river attached to large rock

A 31-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty offences after a dog was found drowning in a river this morning.

The Belgian shepherd dog was rescued by a brave member of the public after they saw her in the river Trent with a carrier bag containing a large rock tied around her.

Police said this morning that the animal, who is registered as Bella according to her microchip, was seen struggling in the water on Monday morning in the Farndon area of Nottinghamshire.

After she was rescued she was taken to a local vet where she is currently receiving care.

Officers investigating the incident are appealing for anyone who recognises this dog or who saw anything suspicious at the time to come forward as soon as possible.

PC Adam Pace, of Nottinghamshire 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.

"Whilst we have made an arrest we are still appealing for information about the circumstances of the incident, including how many people were involved.

Bella is still quite poorly but PC Pace said she has been showing some encouraging signs by eating so hopefully she will be on the mend.

“If anyone has dash-cam or CCTV footage of vehicles in Long Lane that may show who was in the area at the time that would be really helpful,” he said.

"We are working with the RSPCA and are conducting microchip enquiries. Her name was recorded in 2010 as Bella on her microchip but it is possible she may be known by another name if her owner has changed since then.

"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 6 January 2020."