The Quebec provincial police have arrested a man in his 40s following the death of a dog nicknamed Earthquake that was found buried alive in a field on Tuesday.

The Sûreté du Québec say he turned himself in to a police station in Rouville, in the Montérégie.

The dog succumbed to his injuries while under veterinary care after he was found by a passerby in Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford, 68 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

Ingrid Asselin of the Sûreté du Québec told CBC the man was arrested today and released on a promise to appear. He is expected to be charged with animal cruelty, said Asselin.

Following his discovery, the injured male boxer was taken in by a veterinary clinic in Chambly.

The dog's recovery was looking promising Wednesday morning but then took a turn for the worse by mid-afternoon. (Salim Nadim Valji/CBC)

Officials said when the dog was found it appeared it had been strangled and hit with a blunt object before being buried.

The investigation is still ongoing, and Asselin said that further consultation with an expert is required.