A CHARITY dedicated to rescuing and treating injured swans is urging dog walkers to keep their pets on leads after a swan was killed by a dog.

The swan was rescued by volunteers from the Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Hospital and the RSPCA in Crossflatts after she was bitten by an uncontrolled dog.

A post on the charity's Facebook said that despite the best efforts of its vets the swan died from its injuries, and asked dog owners to take more care near swans.

It said: "We feel this needs highlighting as this keeps happening time and time again with uncontrolled dogs being exercised off leads near swans and waterfowl.

"This swan was rescued by our volunteers assisted by the RSPCA at Crossflatts near Bingley, West Yorkshire.

"She has recently been busy building a nest in her usual spot in preparation for egg laying.

"Sadly at some point she has been bitten by an uncontrolled dog, which given the state of the injury had been left unreported for some days before her rescue.

"Despite the best efforts of both our veterinary surgeon and volunteers here, the swan sadly died. This now leaves her mate alone and with an empty nest.

"It’s vitally important dogs are kept on leads when being exercised near wildlife, most especially at his time of year when the likes of swans are nesting and are more vulnerable.

"Not only does it avoid terrible suffering like this, but it is also the law to keep your animal under control."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA added: "This is a very sad incident and must have been very upsetting for everyone involved.

“We would encourage dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead when they are near places where wildlife live to prevent awful incidents like this.”

All mute swans in the UK are owned and protected by the Crown, and it is a criminal offence to harm a swan in any way.

In 2004 a man in Devon was jailed for killing a swan, and in 2014 a man from Kent was fined for killing and eating a swan.