Montreal

Man turns himself in to police after dog found buried alive

The Sûreté du Québec say a man in his 40s turned himself in to a station in Rouville in the Montérégie.

Severely injured male boxer succumbed to injuries Wednesday afternoon

This photo provided by the Montérégie SPCA shows the injured dog after it was unearthed in a field near St. Paul d'Abbotsford, southwest of Montreal. (Montérégie SPCA)

The Quebec provincial police have arrested a man in his 40s following the death of a dog nicknamed Earthquake that was found buried alive in a field on Tuesday.

The Sûreté du Québec say he turned himself in to a police station in Rouville, in the Montérégie.

The dog succumbed to his injuries while under veterinary care after he was found by a passerby in Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford, 68 kilometres southeast of Montreal. 

Ingrid Asselin of the Sûreté du Québec told CBC the man was arrested today and released on a promise to appear. He is expected to be charged with animal cruelty, said Asselin.

Following his discovery, the injured male boxer was taken in by a veterinary clinic in Chambly.

The dog's recovery was looking promising Wednesday morning but then took a turn for the worse by mid-afternoon. (Salim Nadim Valji/CBC)

Officials said when the dog was found it appeared it had been strangled and hit with a blunt object before being buried.

The investigation is still ongoing, and Asselin said that further consultation with an expert is required.

With files from Sarah Leavitt