APPALLING footage of a dog being beaten by a Chinese cop has been shared millions of times.

In the video a golden retriever can be seen tied to a metal railing and standing in a puddle of its own blood.

3 This poor dog was brutally battered to death by a Chinese police officer

Barely conscious, the Golden Retriever keels over as it makes another petrified bid for freedom before the policeman strikes the poor mutt on the head with a heavy pole.

According to reports, the police officer in Changsha, south China brutally battered the dog for more than three hours.

When pedestrians tried to intervene, the officer allegedly threatened them too with the heavy stick he was wielding.

A petition to help track down and jail the thug has been signed by more than 117,000 people from around the world.

3 The moment the officer smashed the poor pooch with a pole

3 A crowd of people stood and stared

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If you would like to sign the petition to draw attention to the barbaric act, click here.

Slaughtering dogs for meat is legal in China, with an estimated 20 million killed each year.

The annual Yulin dog meat festival sees up to 11,000 dogs from puppies to elderly animals cooked.