French bulldog 'tied to vehicle and dragged to death' in Bootle

The dog was found with a wire attached to its collar

A dog was "apparently tied to a vehicle and dragged" to its death in a "barbaric" attack, the RSPCA has said.

The French bulldog's body was found with wire attached to its collar on Brasenose Road, Bootle, on 17 June.

Inspector Joanne McDonald said the dog had skin missing on its feet, which suggested it had tried to keep up with a moving vehicle.

She said it was a "cruel" attack, which would have seen the animal suffer "horrendously".

The charity said the wire attached to the dog's collar had a broken clip on the other end, which was thought to have been attached to a vehicle.

A spokeswoman said the bulldog, which was believed to have been aged about two and may have recently had puppies, was microchipped, but the details were not up to date.

Appealing for information, Ms McDonald said the animal also had wounds on its body, which were likely to have happened when it was unable to stay on its feet, and the collar was on its head, which suggested it had been pulled along.

"This is a most barbaric and cruel act," she said.

"This poor young dog must have been terrified and suffered horrendously during this horrific incident."