A family have been left devastated after their 11-week-old puppy was stolen and then found hanged from their garden gate days later.
Thieves broke into the house of the family in Darwen, Lancashire and ransacked it, with British Bulldog Wilma being taken.
The family's Mercedes ML SUV car was also taken in the burglary at their home on Cranberry Lane on Tuesday, March 19.
Multiple appeals were posted by the family on social media, with a £1,000 reward for the return of the pup.
However, it was discovered on Thursday, March 21, that Wilma had been killed.
The pup had reportedly been strung up by metal wiring, with the family finding her on their garden gate, reports our sister site LancsLive.
Now, appeals for information are being shared on social media to find who is responsible and get justice for Wilma.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up by close family friend Abi Kilshaw to raise money for the distraught family.
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Abi says on the post : "It pains me to say that Wilma is no longer with us and died at the scene due to asphyxiation. I can still picture her little claw marks on the wooden gate from where she must have been struggling to try and break free.
"The past 3 days have been extremely hard for the family with Wilma being missing, the car being stolen and their family home being ransacked from top to bottom and then this!
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"The worst part was hearing the kids screaming in the background as I was on the phone trying to understand what the distraught Mother was explaining to me. It was a horrifying ordeal to listen to and I imagine ten times worse for the kids to see.
"Thank you all so very much for your thousands upon thousands of shares and from the bottom of my heart you are all truly fantastic. Your support was very humbling and the family want me to reiterate how grateful they are that everybody pulled together and tried to bring Wilma home safely.
"Now Wilma is home, not in body but in soul, in our hearts and in our spirits, she is with us."
Social media users are using the hashtag #JusticeForWilma to try and raise awareness of the incident.
You can donate to the cause on the Go Fund Me page here.
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