At around 4pm on Wednesday afternoon (March 15) police received a report from the fire service of a fire in some woods to the rear of Mead Walk in the Walker area of the city.
Officers attended and found the body of a puppy. It is believed the dog had been wrapped in a bin bag and the bag had been set alight.
It is believed the puppy had already died when the bag was set alight and a joint investigation between police and the RSPCA is now underway to establish the circumstances around the incident.
He said: "This incident took place in the middle of the day and we believe members of the public in the area would have seen those responsible.
"It is a very distressing incident and we need to understand what has happened to this young dog.
"A joint investigation is ongoing with the RSPCA to establish the circumstances behind the incident and we are appealing for witnesses.
"An incident like this is likely to cause anger and distress to our local communities and I want to reassure local residents that we are treating this matter seriously”.
"If anyone has any information that may help our investigation then we would ask them to get in touch by calling us on 101."
RSPCA inspector Cathy Maddison said a vet had examined the remains of the dog and found a microchip that has led investigators to believe the dog was a three-year-old Shih Tzu called Charlie.
She said: "This is a really shocking and upsetting discovery. The fire service were called yesterday, but they had no idea the horror they would discover once the fire was put out.
"At this stage we don’t know whether the dog was alive or not when the body was set on fire, which is horrific.
"A vet has examined the remains and it seems that the dog is an entire male Shih Tzu mix, approximately three years old, with cream and tan markings. He did have a microchip which tells us his name was Charlie, but unfortunately it does not have any further details.
"There are still many unanswered questions and we are keen to find out what happened, so we are asking anybody with any information to contact us or the police as soon as possible."
Station Manager Jeff Boath, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This was initially reported as a fence on fire. However, on extinguishing the fire it was discovered that a small dog had been set on fire inside a plastic bag. It is believed that the dog was deceased prior to the fire being started."
Anyone who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area on Wednesday afternoon, or has information that may help police, should call officers on 101 quoting log 690 15/03/17 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They can contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018, leaving a message for Inspector Maddison.
(Northumbria UK - March 17, 2017)
