Alleged representatives of French animal rights group Cause Animal Nord have been caught on camera restraining a homeless Paris man as they steal his puppy.

The video, shared to Facebook by witness Nghi Le Duc on September 21, shows a homeless man wrestling on the ground with another man, while a woman attempts to snatch his dog.

The video has since been viewed more than 1.2 million times and shared 19,551 times.

The two attackers can be seen snatching up the yelping puppy as the homeless man wails and tries to stop them.

A third man then grabs the animal and turns tail.

The female accomplice can be heard shouting at shocked bystanders as the dog’s owner chases the thief down the street.

The video bears the Cause Animal Nord website watermark.

Mr Duc said he watched in horror as the incident unfolded.

“Three French who represent of the association ‘Cause Animale Nord’ and who also represent The Law… took violently, mercilessly, a small dog - a little friend of a homeless person from him, even though this homeless person cried and begged them! I was in shock when I saw this scene in Paris,” he posted on his Facebook page.

Mr Duc then shares what appears to be evidence of the stolen dog’s fate, in the form of a photo first posted to the Cause Animal Nord Facebook page also on September 20.

“Here is the dog (in my opinion),” he comments.

The photo is of a dog that looks like the one stolen in the video. It bears a caption that appears to confirm Mr Duc’s claim.

“Vegan (name in memory of our beliefs), little dog, rescued at the Marche,” it reads.

“We took it from a Roma who was begging. The police do nothing, we act. You too can take action, it just takes a little courage.

“[The dog] will be put up for adoption.”

Many Facebook users have been appalled at the group’s alleged torment of a homeless man and his pet.

“I don't like how you caused this man grief and terrorised the little dog,” one user, Salengret Corrine, commented.

Cause Animale Nord has responded by explaining its actions, claiming the man was exploiting the dog and using it to help panhandle for money.

“It wasn't a homeless guy but a Roma... He's screaming because it's his livelihood,” their reply reads.

“The little dog was afraid to walk in the grass because she’d only ever known the pavement.”

This allegation has been slammed by one Facebook user as prejudicial.

“Bravo, all the homeless are Roma, except for all the homeless people that happen to be French,” user Sandrine Berteau said.

Another Facebook user nevertheless has corroborated some of Cause Animale Nord’s account.

“This guy was in the process of begging for the last week with the same dog who was not even moving. When I approached, the first thing he asked me was for money!” user Lila Lilou said.