A DOG which was stolen from the garden of a family in Co. Wicklow has died after being brutally attacked.
Buddy was discovered on a roadside, outside O’Reilly’s service station, around 250m from the home where he was snatched from last Monday.
Reports suggest his tail had been ripped off and he had injuries which suggested he'd be thrown from a moving car.
The disgusting attack in Baltinglass, has prompted owner and father-of-three Keith Nagle to offer a reward for information leading to the savage group of thugs responsible.
"I rang in my order with a takeaway, I shot over to pick it up and when I came back to let Buddy in, he was gone," said the 42-year-old.
"The first people that came across him on opposite side of the path from O’Reilly’s were two young girls, he [Buddy] was just on the road and they lifted him on to the path, on finding him the two girls were screaming, which attracted the attention of a lady in O’Reilly’s."
O'Reilly's, Baltinglass, Co. WicklowThe woman then apparently ran over and phoned a local vets as the two girls helped lift the dog into her car.
Buddy was rushed over for medical attention, but sadly his owners received a call on Tuesday saying that he hadn't made it.
The vet told Mr Nagle that the injuries sustained were not consistent with being hit by car, more of being thrown out of a car.
Gardaí are allegedly investigating the attack and will be reviewing CCTV cameras around the service station.
Nagle took to Facebook to appeal to anyone with any information, warning the local community that the culprits could still be out there and could pose a risk to others.
"If you beat up an animal, you’d beat up a child," he wrote.
If you were in the area on Monday evening and may have noticed anything suspicious call 085-1466456 after 6pm or the Gardai in Baltinglass at 059-6482610
