Australian police have reportedly launched an investigation after disturbing footage of a German shepherd locked in a vehicle filled with barbed wire was leaked to several groups of lost animals in Australia.
“Honestly, it makes me so sick to think of people treating animals this way,” one netizen reportedly responded on Sunday, according to The Sun.
Over the weekend, images of a dog in a vehicle whose windows appeared to be covered in barbed wire sparked outrage in New South Wales, Australia, and forced a police investigation.
According to the person who originally shared the photos on Facebook, police and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (RSPCA) were called, but the vehicle had already left the scene when they arrived.
The driver was found shortly afterwards by the police authorities.
“They examined the dog and confirmed that it had no injuries and was in good hands. They were also assured that the barbed wire had been permanently removed from the car,” a New South Wales Police spokesman said, without explaining why the barbed wire had even been installed.
Still, several netizens have expressed concerns about the dog’s safety.
“It’s really weird behavior and very painful to watch,” commented another, while a third instead called the footage “the most disturbing thing he’s ever seen.”