Horrifying footage shows tied-up golden retriever being beaten to death by cop in street

A police officer bludgeoned a golden retriever to death in public after the animal attacked two pedestrians.



The cop, who was not named, is said to have used a thick wooden pole and slowly beat the dog to death over the course of three hours as passers-by watched on in horror.



The animal was tied to a barrier in the middle of the street when the policeman struck it, in an incident caught in distressing footage.



Authorities from Changsha, capital of Hunan Province in central China, said they had not been equipped with tranquilisers and did not want to shoot the dog because they feared the ricocheting bullet might injury a pedestrian.



The owner of the distressed dog could not be found.