A Belgian driver faces five years in prison for throwing a dog into a canal from the top of a bridge in Maasmechelen, Limburg.
On Saturday evening, a couple was on a fishing trip with a friend when the horrific scene unfolded before their eyes, media outlet 7sur7 reported.
A driver of a vehicle then stopped on the bridge, then picked up a Bichon in his arms and threw it over the guardrail near Dilsen-Stokkem in the Dutch-speaking area.
At that moment, Giovanni, the couple’s friend, rushed after the driver while the couple threw themselves into the water to rescue the dog in distress.
The Maltese was rescued safely, but he was shaking in fear, the improvised rescuers told the Belgian newspaper “Het Laatste Nieuws”.
The abused animal, which had injuries on various parts of its body, was entrusted to an animal protection association in the Ophoven region.
The suspect was arrested thanks to the instructions of rescuers who tracked him down and faces up to five years in prison, a hefty fine and a ban on keeping an animal.