Police have released “heartbreaking” photos of an emaciated bulldog that was taped into a black garbage bag and abandoned near a railway viaduct in Des Moines, Iowa.
The emaciated dog was found on by a passerby on December 10 with just his head sticking out of the bag.
He was unable to walk because the bag had been secured with tape.
Police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek said in a statement that the man who found the dog said the bag caught his attention because it appeared to be moving.
Parizek said Saturday that the dog is slowly recovering. When the dog was found, he weighed only about 23 pounds (10 kilograms), according to the veterinary staff who are caring for him.
Investigators hope someone will recognize the dog and help lead them to whoever discarded him. Police said the dog’s ears have been cropped, which suggests he received veterinary care earlier in his life.
The photos of the bulldog taped in the bag prompted a torrent of anger at the person responsible – and at the country’s “joke” animal cruelty laws.
Des Moines Polce’s Facebook post quickly garnered close to 3,000 reactions, more than 2,000 shares and hundreds of enraged comments, where the dog’s treatment was described as “heartbreaking” and “sick”. Many commenters agreed that “America’s animal cruelty laws are vastly inadequate”.