A Belgian motorist faces 5 years in prison for throwing a dog into a canal from the top of a bridge in Maasmechelen in Limburg.
On Saturday evening, a couple was with a friend on a fishing trip when the horrific scene unfolded before their eyes, according to 7sur7 media.
A motorist then stopped on the bridge, before picking him up in his arms and dropping him over the guardrail, near Dilsen-Stockem, in the Dutch-speaking region.
Then Giovanni, a friend of the couple, rushed to chase the car driver, while the couple threw themselves into the water to retrieve the stricken tusk.
Improvised rescuers told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that the Maltese was recovered safely but was trembling with fear.
The victim of the attack, the animal, which showed injuries in various parts of the body, was handed over to the Animal Protection Society in the Ovofen area.
The suspect was arrested on the instructions of rescuers who tracked him down and could face up to 5 years in prison, a heavy fine and a ban on owning an animal.
