A dog was found abandoned in a Norwich park with his legs all tied together and his collar bound up with string and household electrical cable.
He had then been tied to a post at Sloughbottom Park with cabling around his neck, leaving him unable to stand up or move.
Police from Mile Cross Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which took place in the early hours of Saturday.
Police said that a member of the public found a brown and white boxer cross dog abandoned in the grounds, near to the skate park, just before 6am.
Officers looked after the dog at the scene and, once assisted by a vet, were able to help move him safely to start receiving treatment.
Upon examination he was found to be relatively healthy and around four-years-old. However, he did appear to be suffering discomfort and pain from being tied up.
The dog was not micro chipped and did not have any identification tags.
PC Craig Bidwell, from Mile Cross SNT, has appealed for information or witnesses.
He said: 'Attacking a dog in this way is completely unacceptable and I would urge anyone who has information about the incident to contact me.
'Officers will be working with inspectors from the RSPCA to find the person responsible and take action.'
Staff at the RSPCA, who are currently caring for him, have nicknamed him 'Spencer'.
RSPCA inspector Laura Sayer said: 'Poor Spencer was traumatised from this horrible ordeal but luckily not hurt.
'He is a lovely dog, and has clearly been well looked after, so it might even be that there is a loving owner out there missing him. We urge anyone with any information to come forward.
'We are very grateful to this passing member of the public and to the police for rescuing him. There is no way he would have been able to escape the tangle of ropes which held him on his own - apparently he was completely hog-tied.'
PC Bidwell can be contacted on 101. Anyone with any information about who 'Spencer' might belong to should contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.
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