A manhunt is underway after footage emerged on social media of a person, who appears to be in their teens, throwing a dog off a cliff into the sea.
The short clip, which we have not included in this article, shows somebody holding the terrified pooch, which appears to be a spaniel, as it wriggles before hurling it into the waters below.
The vile footage was captured at the edge of a cliff in Falmouth, Cornwall, and was then shared on Snapchat, where it has been widely condemned by users.
Shrieking laughter can be heard in the video as the poor dog flails around in the air before hitting the water.
The animal can then be seen quickly swimming towards the shore in the video, but the Snapchat clip ends before the dog reaches the beach.
Thankfully, the helpless pooch survived after being thrown into the sea off the cliff - it is unclear who the dog belongs to.
The horrific incident is being investigated by both the police and the RSPCA, it has been confirmed.
A police spokesman said: "Police are investigating a report of concern for the welfare of an animal in Falmouth on the afternoon of Wednesday 1 May.
"This relates to a dog being thrown into the sea."
The spokesperson added: "We ask that people, including users of social media, do not speculate around the circumstances of this incident, or the individual involved."
The RSPCA said it was "very concerned" about the footage and wanted to reassure the public the animal welfare charity was also looking into the incident.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We have been made aware of some upsetting footage showing a dog being thrown off a cliff in Falmouth, Cornwall.
"We are very concerned about this incident and would like to reassure people we are looking into it."
They added: "We'd like to thank everyone who has reported this to us so far and would urge any eyewitnesses or anyone with further information to ring the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line in 0300 123 8018 to help us with our ongoing investigation."
Featured Image Credit: SnapchatTopics: RSPCA, Dog, Life News, News