Police inquiries after dog hanged

Police in Londonderry are carrying out door-to-door inquiries after a dog was found hanging by the neck from a fence.

The dead animal was found in the Altcar Park area of Galliagh on Monday. A post mortem examination is to be carried out to establish the cause of death.

Local SDLP councillor Sean Gallagher said it is not the first time such ill-treatment has happened.

"It's an absolute act of cruelty and it makes you wonder what sort of mindset is involved," he said.

"It's happened before unfortunately and that's the difficulty I had with it."

Residents in the area where the dog was found have said they do not know who owned it.

Local resident John Lannigan was one of the first people to find the dog, close to where children pass on their way to two primary schools.

"At about seven o'clock this morning, a neighbour came knocking at the door to say that there was a dog hung at the actual fence," he said.

"So I went out to check it and at that stage I decide to phone the police, it was about five or ten past seven and they came straight out.

"I think it is a stafford terrier. It's actually tied there now with electrical cable so it is. Rare cruel."