Dog Rescued After Being Found Buried Alive With Lead Attached To Sack Of Gravel

Pedro Dinis/Facebook

A dog buried alive in France has been rescued, after being found up to her shoulders in gravel and dirt.

The Dogue de Bordeaux - an historic breed of French Mastiff - was discovered on Saturday by dog walker Pedro Dinis who shared the shocking images via his Facebook page.

He recalled: “Only her head was visible and it was difficult to see given the amount of earth covering her.”

The dog was found on waste ground in Carrieres-sur-Seine, west of Paris, surrounded by stones which police sources believe may have been thrown at her.

Her lead was attached to a sack of gravel in an effort to prevent her from trying to escape.

Police have arrested the dog’s 21-year-old owner who has denied burying her, claiming it had run away.

But sources close to the investigation believe the owner’s story is “not very plausible”.

“The dog is more than 10 years old and suffers from arthritis. It’s difficult to imagine her running away,” said an insider.

The “shocked and dehydrated” dog was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment where she received antibiotics, according to The Mirror.

The Facebook pictures shared by Dinis in order to “educate people about cruelty to animals” have sparked an online petition calling for the ‘maximum sentence’ of two years for the owner who will be put on trial for animal cruelty and faces a fine of up to €30,000 (£21,000).

The petition, which already has more than 135,000 signatures, states: “The trial against the master of the buried Bordeaux mastiff living in Carrières-sur-Seine is expected in March 2016!

"By this petition, we ask the maximum penalty against this act of cruelty to an animal. This judgment sets an example and that the animal is finally considered as it should to be. We also ask that person to be remanded in custody awaiting trial. Let justice be done.”