Young dog found dead in Wolverhampton canal

The grim discovery was made by an off duty policeman and his wife who were walking their dogs on the Wolverhampton to Coseley canal at Turtons Croft near Bilston on April 22.

RSPCA inspector Claire Davey attended the scene to collect the unmicrochipped dog.

The officer was unable to establish the sex of the animal due to the decomposing nature of the body. 

It is believed the dog was in the water for no more than a couple of days. 

The young dog also had a suspicious-looking cut, which ran in a straight line along the entire length of the abdomen, although it’s not known how or when this injury occurred. 

Inspector Davey said: “We’d like to thank the policeman and his wife for stopping and taking the time to help this poor dog.

"As pet owners themselves, it must have been a really upsetting incident for them to come across and we’re very grateful that they reported it to us.

“While it’s possible that this may be someone's missing pet, I’m not ruling out the possibility of foul play, especially given the nasty injury that the dog had sustained.

"It’s incredibly sad and upsetting to find animals in circumstances like this and we would appeal to anyone with information to come forward.” 

The discovery in Bilston is the latest in a series of horrific incidents in recent months involving dogs in the West Midlands.

In March, a female dog, with what appeared to be a ligature tied around her neck, was found dead in a ditch between Brownhills and Great Wyrley, prompting an appeal for information by the RSPCA. 

The animal welfare charity also asked for the public’s help in February, after a female French bulldog was discovered in a bag weighed down with bricks close to the lock on the Walsall Canal at Tipton.

In December, construction workers found three newborn puppies dead in a bin bag - again in the canal at Tipton - while a young male Shih Tzu which had been dumped in a toolbox in the Trent and Mersey canal at Burton upon Trent was also reported the same month.