WARNING: Graphic images show mutilated ears and fighting injuries of dead dog taken to Dewsbury vets

Warning: This article contains images and details which some readers may find upsetting.

The young bull breed-type dog was brought into the vets last Thursday (25 April) in a wheelbarrow by a man who said he’d found him deceased in a local park.

The dog’s badly damaged ears were infected and may have been cut with scissors. The dog had bite marks on his body, which were at various stages of healing and consistent with dog fighting, said the vet who examined him.

The man is thought to have arrived at the back entrance of the practice with the dog in the wheelbarrow sometime between 3pm and 4pm. He had travelled in a van - registration unknown - and parked in a side street, coming from the Wharf Close direction. He then left without leaving his details or further information - which may help with enquiries.

A scan revealed the dog - whose exact breed has not yet been identified - was microchipped and between two and three years old, but the chip was foreign and the details had not been registered.

The RSPCA is keen to speak to the man who may be able to help the investigation and provide more details about the exact location in which the dog was found.

RSPCA inspector John Gibson has made enquiries in the local area and is urging homeowners and businesses to check their security cameras and dash cams for information which could help the charity’s investigation.

He said: “This poor dog likely died from a massive infection and untreated wounds. He was in an appalling state and it would have been a really distressing sight for the veterinary staff who were working at the time.

“We’re appealing to anyone who recognises this dog, or has information that could help, to please get in touch.”

The RSPCA say that ear cropping - which is illegal in all nations of the UK - is a barbaric procedure in which the outer part of a dogs’ ears are cut or clipped, often using a knife or scissors, or removed completely.

Anyone with information about the incident should call 03001238018 quoting reference number 01255528.