A dog was grabbed by its throat by a stranger who lifted it off the ground outside a busy pub in Cheltenham.
Police say that a man threatened the owner of the pooch, and that the motive behind his actions remains unclear.
The incident took place on Saturday, May 21, at around 7pm outside the Exmouth Arms in Cheltenham - which describes itself as ' the local pub with a big smile' on its website.
The ordeal was later reported to police, who are hoping that witnesses come forward to help with their investigation, Gloucestershire Live reports.
It has been reported the man - who was of a stocky build, and around 5ft 10ins tall with blonde hair - was seen in a group with three other men at the time of the incident.
And CCTV footage shows that there was a large amount of people at the scene on Bath Road at the time of the incident, meaning there could be a number of eyewitnesses who saw what happened.
A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: “The victim stated that they were threatened by the man but no assault took place.
"It is currently unknown why the dog and its owner were targeted."
The man was with three others at the time who were described as being in their late 30s or early 40s.
Officers have reviewed CCTV footage from several nearby premises as part of their ongoing enquiries.
A large number of people were on Bath Road at the time of the incident and officers are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened.
Information can be submitted online by completing an online form on the Gloucestershire Police website, quoting incident 407 of May 21.
You can also call police on 101 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
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