Police continue hunt for dog killers (From Surrey Comet)

Metropolitan Police track owner of dog killed by yobs in Roehampton to Streatham

7:30am Tuesday 20th July 2010 in Wandsworth By Ian Mason

Police have yet to catch two yobs who covered a caged dog in petrol and burned it alive.

But a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the owner of the rottweiler, which was heard yelping and barking as it burned to death in a bin shelter at the bottom of Shalden House, in Tunworth Crescent, Roehampton, had since been traced to Streatham.

The sickening crime sparked a furious reaction from Wandsworth Guardian readers. Kelly Butler, a rescue centre volunteer, this week contacted the newsdesk offering a £50 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the “scumbags” responsible.

The pooch was killed between 10.30pm and 11pm on July 2. The Met’s spokeswoman said two boys aged between 14 and 15 and wearing woolly hats “were seen to throw petrol over the dog and run away”.

Neighbours desperately tried to save the dog by throwing buckets of water over the blaze but it took five firefighters from Wandsworth Fire Brigade to put it out.

A group set up on social networking site Facebook called “name and shame the sick ******** that burnt that poor dog alive!!” now has more than 6,000 members.

The police spokeswoman said: “We are happy to confirm that the owner has been traced to Streatham and is being spoken to.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who saw or knows anything as to how the animal got from Streatham to Roehampton in that cage.”

Anyone with information should call Wandsworth police on 0300 1231212.

• Do you know more? Let us know by emailing imason@london.newsquest.co.uk, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9533 or leave a comment below.