A necropsy on Buddy, a two and a half-year-old cross breed, has revealed no evidence of strangulation on the dog that was found hanging by its female owner a week ago.

And now Government Vet Jonathan Nisbett is probing the possibility that Buddy was poisoned.

The pet was found hanging by its own rope from the outside of its owner's Tribe Road, Pembroke home last Monday.

A dog warden said it was the worst incident of cruelty he had seen in his eight years in the job.

Initially it was thought that the culprits had hung Buddy alive but subsequent tests showed no evidence of tissue bruising or tearing around the neck.

Dog Warden Shinagh Simons said it indicated that Buddy was hung up after he was killed by other means.

He said poisoning was suspected as the likely cause but added that nothing could be confirmed until overseas tests on samples from the dog were complete.

Meanwhile, the necropsy report has been forwarded to the Police as part of their investigation of the slaying.

ANIMALS ALS