Pet dog’s body left in canal for six days

A dead dog was left to rot for nearly a week in a canal before its body was removed by animal charity workers.

The dog, believed to be a black or brown Staffordshire bull terrier which had apparently drowned, was retrieved by Animal Care from the canal near White Cross in Lancaster and taken to the Lancaster Veterinary Centre.

Shocked and distressed canal users and passers-by reported the body of the dog to Lancaster City Council, the police, the RSPCA and British Waterways but it was six days before it was removed.

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Sarah Thomas said on Facebook: “It has been there a week now and is incredibly distressing for all my passengers when they see it.

“No one will accept it as their responsibility to remove it. I’m glad its finally been retrieved.”

A spokesman for Lancaster City Council said: “The council received reports about the body of a dog in Lancaster Canal.

“Callers were advised to contact the Canal and Rivers Trust (formerly British Waterways) whose responsibility it is to arrange for the animal to be removed.”

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Abi Sadler, assistant manager at Animal Care, said: “We got a phone call about it on August 21 and no-one else was willing to help, so two volunteers went and got the dog and took it to the vets.

“It was very upsetting for everyone involved.”

The dog was retrieved from the canal on August 21 .

Animal Care said the owner had been traced and told the body was at the vets but it has not yet been claimed.