A traumatised dog has been found buried up to its head in dirt in France, with the photos of the horrific incident sparking an out pour of anger on social media today.

Police have confirmed that the owner of the dog has been taken into custody, who said his dog had run away.

The French mastiff was discovered and then rescued on Saturday by a man walking his own dog on waste ground in Carrieres-sur-Seine, west of Paris.

Punished: The owner will be put on trial for animal cruelty and could be sent to prison for two years and be forced to pay a fine of up to £20,000

Innocent: It is thought the dog is more than 10-years-old and may have been suffering from arthritis

Deeply upset by the dog's appalling condition, the man posted pictures on Facebook saying: 'Only her head was visible and it was difficult to see given the amount of earth covering her.'

The French mastiff appears to have been buried in the thick dirt and dust in the waste land.

The dog's rope lead can be seen hanging from her neck and closer inspection shows that it has been attached to a sack of gravel.

Unable to escape her tightly secured lead, the distressed dog was found in a distressed condition and suffering from dehydration.

Caught: Police have confirmed that the owner of the dog has been taken into custody, who said his dog had run away

No escape: Tightly tied to the large bag of gravel, the dog's lead meant the animal was unable to break free

Suffering: The dog was suffering badly from shock and dehydration, a police source said. She has been taken to the vet for treatment after her rescue

Slow work: The man attempted to ease the piles of dirt surrounding the dog before the dog was eventually freed by emergency services

The man called the emergency services and began to free the animal, carefully trying to ease the thick pile of dirt surrounding the dog.

The dog, 'shocked and dehydrated' according to the police source, was taken to a veterinary clinic nearby for treatment.

Police quickly traced the animal to its 21-year-old owner who was taken into custody. He denied burying the dog, saying that the animal had run away.

However, investigators said this was 'not very plausible' and are expected to further question the young man.

'The dog is more than 10-years-old and suffers from arthritis. It's difficult to imagine her running away,' said a source close to the investigation.

The owner will be put on trial for animal cruelty and could be sent to prison for two years and be forced to pay a fine of up to £20,000.

An online petition calling for the 'maximum sentence for the owner' had received 135,000 signatures already.

Shock: The French mastiff appears deeply distressed by the appalling ordeal as she struggles to free herself

Helping: A dogwalker attempts to loosen the thick rope tied around the dog's neck

The rescuers dog appears to be struggling for breath as the dust begins to build up around the animal

Stuck: Covered in dust and dirt, the traumatised dog stares sadly at her rescuer