Greyhound dumped in Bristol 'with ears cut off'

The body of a greyhound pregnant with six pups was dumped in Bristol with its ears cut off in a bid to protect the culprits, the RSPCA said.

The Irish racing dog was discovered with both ears sliced off so her identity tattoos, which could lead back to her owners, would not be read.

The gruesome find on in Bristol is part of a "sickening catalogue" of cruelty incidents in the city this month, the charity revealed.

The spate of savagery includes the dumping of another dog with a "football-sized" tumour and the shootings of two cats with a crossbow and an airgun.

The greyhound's body was found dumped on February 14 on wasteland in the village of Iron Acton, near Yate. It was discovered by a member of the public. The local authority cleansing department collected the body.

RSPCA spokeswoman Jo Barr said: "Irish racing greyhounds are tattooed in the ear for identification purposes, and it is thought that the dog, a female greyhound who was heavily pregnant with six pups, was mutilated in order to prevent the culprits in this horrific case from being traced."

The charity is hoping someone will recognise the dog, who is black with white markings under her chin and a white blaze between her forelegs as well as two white spots on her throat.

It is not yet clear how the dog, thought to have been about four years old, died. A vet's examination suggested the body was dumped within 24 hours of when it was found. Her ears had been removed with a sharp blade and she was found wrapped in a blanket.

RSPCA inspector John Atkinson said: "This is a very distressing incident for all involved and we are investigating every possible avenue.

"If any member of the public saw people dumping the dog, or know of a dog answering this description, I would urge them to contact the RSPCA at once."