Dog dragged to death behind owner’s car sparks angry mob in China (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

A shocking video that shows a dog being dragged to death behind its owner’s car has sparked enormous outrage in China. The disturbing footage was captured in Shandong, an eastern Chinese province, on Monday.

It shows a small dog being dragged behind the vehicle by a rope tied around its neck, scraping its paws and sides on the road as it struggles to keep up with the moving SUV

As more bystanders witnessed the animal’s intolerable treatment, people began following the driver until the car was surrounded by hundreds of furious Chinese people demanding an end to the cruel behavior.

Police and a SWAT team were then reportedly summoned to the scene to break up the swelling crowd who pulled the man from his SUV and began punching him.

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Some of those gathered around the bloodied dog cried as it died from its injuries a short time later.

Within hours of the horrific incident, footage had spread widely across Chinese social media, with the car owner’s name, phone number, company and home address being shared online.

In an effort to calm the media storm that refused to dissipate, the man in question – referred to by local media under the pseudonym ‘Qi Qing’ – released a statement that said his actions were “ill-advised” and expressed “deep apology” for what he had done.

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Xinhua reports that Qing went on to explain that he had rescued the dog from a shelter two years beforehand and it had bitten him twice and a colleague once which caused “great harm”.

Police said the driver has been arrested and they are investigating the incident.