A DOG rescue charity is offering a reward for information after a dog was found hanged from a tree in a Bradford park.

Yorkshire Rose Dog Rescue is offering £1,000 to anyone who can provide information which leads to a successful prosecution of the people who killed the dog.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was found killed in Brackenhill Park last week.

Janet Burrell, from the local charity, described the killing as “barbaric”.

She said: “We are disgusted and more upset than anything.

“The dog was identified as being advertised free to a good home on the website Pre-Loved."

Ms Burrell urged caution when selling dogs online.

She said: “The kindest thing to do is to take your dog to a rescue centre, and if the rescue centre cannot help then the dogs should be put to sleep by a vet, but we do not advocate this.

“Vets will ring round rescue centres to try and save the dog before putting it to sleep.

“There is nothing to defend hanging a dog or this sort of behaviour. It is barbaric to hang a dog like that, and unfortunately it’s not the first time we have come across this.

“Luckily last time a member of the public managed to save the dog, which had been hanged from a bridge.

“We don’t know who has done this, if the dog was passed on the previous owners could be devastated seeing this, or it could be the original owners, there’s so many scenarios that could have happened.”

Ms Burrell’s advice to somebody considering getting a dog, but who is not sure if they will be able to care for it, was simple.

“Don’t get one,” she said.

“Look into it seriously. The easiest way to see if you could look after a dog is to foster one for a while, and see what the responsibilities are of having a dog before committing to getting one.”

The RSPCA were called to the park last week where they found the dog, believed to be around a year old, but not micro-chipped.

Inspector Sarah Bagley said it was one of the most horrific incidents she has ever been called to.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact the National Cruelty Line on 0300 1234999.