THIS is Hercules – the dog that a Wickham man allegedly dragged behind his car for 5km, leaving the animal with burns to 20 per cent of its body.

The man will be charged with animal cruelty.

Roebourne Police say the dog was dragged through the streets of Wickham, near Karratha, at speeds of up to 70km/h.

Hercules is now in a stable condition and recovering at the Karratha Veterinary Hospital.

Police were called by concerned members of the public yesterday afternoon, who said they saw the dog being dragged along bitumen roads and back tracks.

The man then allegedly took the dog to the beach and put it in the salt water to help with its burns, before taking it home and covering it in a mix of tea tree oil and water.

media_camera Hercules the dog who was dragged behind a car for 5km. Picture: Karratha Veterinary Hospital

A spokeswoman for WA Police said the salt water and oil aggravated the dogs injuries and caused “undue suffering”.

“Police arrested the man and took the dog to the Karratha Veterinary Hospital where it is being treated for severe burns to approximately 20 per cent of his body and bleeding from his injuries, inclusive of his eyes, ears, mouth and paws,” the police spokeswoman said.

“The injuries are serious but are not believed to be life-threatening.”

The 35-year-old man will be charged via summons with animal cruelty and contravening a learner’s permit.

Originally published as Dog Hercules ‘dragged’ behind car for 5km