A dead dog suffered a horrific injury to its muzzle after it was pulled from a river in Buckinghamshire.

The male dog believed to be a Staffordshire bull terrier  was found on Tuesday, January 16 in a section of the Great River Ouse between the villages Foscott and Thornton.

The RSPCA is appealing to the public for information.

Vets believe the injury to its muzzle was caused by another dog after they examined its body.

RSPCA inspector Andy Eddy, who is investigating for the animal welfare charity, said: “At this stage we don’t know if the dog was dead or alive when he entered the river.

"But we do know he had injuries to his muzzle. Generally his body condition was good so he was likely to have been owned by someone.

“The vet who examined him believed that he sustained the injury on the day of his death.

“It is a suspicious incident and I am urging anyone who has any information to get in touch with us so we can look further into how this dog came to be in this sad situation.”