A DOG’S body has been pulled from the River Thames with a rock tied to her neck in suspected deliberate drowning incident.

The RSPCA is investigating after a member of the public spotted the dog’s body floating in the river near their house on Ferry Lane, Wargrave on Tuesday, July 25 at around 4pm.

RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO) Holly Walker attended the scene and helped pull the poor dog’s body from the river.

She said: “This was an extremely distressing find. The poor dog appears to have been cruelly and deliberately drowned with a rock tied around her neck. We don’t know if she was dead before being thrown in the water but the circumstances with the rock tied to her make it suspicious.

“Her front feet may also have been bound up as they were tangled in ropes, though we aren’t sure if that happened in the river.”

Holly said the dog was bloated and there is a chance she may have been pregnant.

Holly added: “She was not microchipped, so we’d really like the public to help us identify this dog and find the person who did this. It’s an unspeakable act of cruelty and I hate to think how this poor pet suffered in the final moments of her life.

"We hope someone may recognise the dog from the photographs.”

New figures released by the charity show the number of animals killed in ‘suspicious circumstances’ increased by 15% from 2021 (891 cases) to 2022 (775 cases).