XL bully Sheffield bridge death was tragic accident - RSPCA

The dog was found under the A57 flyover near Beighton on 22 January

An American XL bully dog believed to have been thrown to its death from a bridge is now thought to have died in a "tragic accident", the RSPCA has said.

The charity said it had spoken to the owner of the dog which was found under the A57 flyover, near Beighton in Sheffield, on 22 January.

The owner told the RSPCA their dog had run off during a walk.

The RSPCA said the owner, who was traced after a social media appeal, had suffered "significant abuse" online.

"The owner told us that their young dog was nervous and had broken her lead while on a walk and ran off," the charity said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The owner told us they immediately made attempts to trace the pet by putting an appeal out on social media asking for help.

"The owner's details have since been shared by members of the public on social media, resulting in significant abuse, but we are appealing for people to trust that we have properly looked into the circumstances surrounding this poor dog's death and, based on the evidence available, this appears to be a tragic accident."

The RSPCA launched an investigation last week, saying the dog had "died due to blunt force trauma injuries as she hit the ground".

The area where the dog was found is known as the Washlands and is popular with dog walkers.

From 1 February, American XL bullies will be illegal to own without an exemption certificate. They must also be kept on a lead and muzzled.

The new law will mean the breed can no longer be bred, sold, advertised, gifted or exchanged.

It is also illegal to abandon the dogs or let them stray and all dogs on the exempt list must be neutered and microchipped.

XL bully owners had until 31 January to complete the exemption process online application.