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The white and brown pup had been staked to the ground with a rope and shovel, and likely drowned as the tide slowly rose over its head at Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey, according to authorities.

On Friday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it was investigating the animal’s death after its carcass was spotted recently by a group of lightweight boat paddlers.

The group was splashing past Mother’s Beach on Wednesday morning, when they noticed a blue-handled shovel sticking out of the water.

When they got closer to the shovel, they were shocked to find the animal tied to it. A black rope had been wrapped around the dog’s neck and the lower portion of the partially submerged shovel.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at 310-582-6000.

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.

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