A probe has been launched after a horrified walker stumbled across the decomposing remains of a dead dog in Clackmannanshire.
The grim discovery was made on a country walk off Cobblecrook Lane in Alva on November 16.
The Scottish SPCA has launched an investigation and say that the cause of death cannot be established due to the level of decomposition.
They have not ruled out any act of cruelty but as there was no microchip found, they are appealing for help to trace the animal’s owners.
The animal cruelty charity is urging anyone who may have information about the dog to come forward.
Inspector Nicola Liddell said: “This will have been a very upsetting experience for the members of the public who discovered the dog.
“The dog was found in a shallow grave around 300-yards from the gate leading to the country path you can access from Cobblecrook Lane.
“No microchip has been discovered.
“At this stage we have no reason to believe there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the dog but we haven’t ruled it out.
“The animal may have passed away from natural causes and someone has disposed of the body in this way.
“We understand this has already received a lot of attention on social media and we will do what we can to find out what happened to the dog.
“We would urge people to only contact us if they can provide a witness statement or evidence that will help us ascertain who the dog belonged to or what happened to the dog.
“If anyone has information, they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
