RSPCA investigation launched after video of woman hitting dog in Sheffield sparks outrage

The 46-second video clip, which was posted on Facebook, initially shows the dog sitting alone in an area of open land known locally as ‘Birley Field’.

A woman is then captured walking towards the dog and holding a lead.

She is filmed hitting the dog with the lead on its bottom before putting it around the the dog's neck.

She is then seen repeatedly smacking the dog around its head before dragging the pet away.

Brandon Smith said the video was taken by his niece, Imogen, when she and her friends sat on the field on Sunday evening, a few hours before the Euro 2020 final match.

He said: “Then this woman comes on with the dog shouting abuse at the dog so they thought it was a bit dodgy, so she started recording and as you can see what happened when they did record.”

The video has so far been viewed more than 10,000 times and had generated hundreds of furious comments.

One woman said: “If she does that to the dog in public, it worries me what she does in the privacy of her home.”

Another commented: “Oh my god, please send this to the police. She's an abuser, what does the dog go through at home? Oh god, I'm so, so upset.”

A dog owner couldn’t contain her anger, saying: “Birley Field? I’m going to go out of my way and take my dog there every day I can now and I hope I see this woman.”

Animal charity the RSPCA said the incident is under investigation.

A spokesperson said: “We understand the concerns about this video which was apparently taken in the Birley Park area. Animals should always be treated with compassion and kindness.

“This video was reported to us after a member of the public came across it on social media.

“We are so grateful to people who make reports to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.

“We’d urge that anyone with any direct information about this incident should call our appeals line on 0300 123 8018.”

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