The dog's body was found on rocks in Titahi Bay

The gruesome discovery of a dog and a 10kg weight washed up on rocks near Titahi Bay has led Wellington SPCA to make an urgent plea for information from the public.

The bloated body of the dog, nicknamed ‘Pearl’ by SPCA staff, was discovered by a member of the public out walking on Monday (11th January) evening, who contacted us for help. Animal welfare inspector Brett Lahman attended the call and located ‘Pearl’on rocks close to the shore. The 10kg weight was discovered with a dog’s collar and lead still attached to it and was lying close by.

“It is not clear at this stage how the dog came to be here or its exact cause of death” explains Brett. “However, what is clear is that the circumstances surrounding its death are suspicious and of extreme concern to us.”

Suspicious circumstances

‘Pearl’ was discovered on an area of the shore near water treatment works that are not readily accessible by the general public. We suspect that she was possibly thrown into the water off-shore either from a boat or a jetty, or possibly from near an outlet of the treatment works itself.

The 10kg weight tied to a green collar and lead

Initial post-mortem results indicate that she most likely died from drowning and was therefore potentially alive when it entered the water. The discovery of the weight with a dog’s collar and lead attached has significant implications in ‘Pearl’s’ death. The examination also suggests that she had been dead for at least three days.

The distinctive white triangle-shaped flash on her chest

We urgently need to identify ‘Pearl’. She is a tan mastiff type cross breed, approximately four years old, with a distinctive small triangle-shaped white flash on her chest. She appears to have had at least one litter of puppies and was in good body condition. Her claws are quite long suggesting that she may have spent the majority of time indoors or on grass. The collar and lead are both green with a dog bone motif on the collar. The weight is a Don Oliver brand.

We are urgently asking people to come forward with information about her or her owner’s identity.

“We need to hear from anyone who may know about a dog matching this description or saw anyone acting suspiciously in or near Titahi Bay towards the end of last week or over the weekend.”

Anyone with information should contact us immediately on 04 389 8044.