Driver in China drags dog on leash behind car -- then claims to be unaware of what happened

Chinese netizens were enraged by viral photos which showed a golden retriever being dragged by a vehicle on a road in Haining, China. 

Apparently, the car was being driven by a friend of the dog owner, who claimed that he did not know the dog was there at all, reports Shanghaiist.

The dog owner told local media that his dog had slept under the car the night before. 

His friend had visited him the following morning and asked to borrow his car. 

The owner handed the keys over to his friend, forgetting that the leash on his dog was still attached.

Oblivious to the fact, the friend drove on, dragging the dog for a distance.

When he finally realised what happened, he quickly brought the dog to a local veterinarian for treatment. 

Fortunately, the dog did not sustain life-threatening injuries, and is expected to make a full recovery.

In light of the event, some netizens have called for local officials to take the poor dog away from his negligent owner, while others expressed skepticism over the driver’s apparent lack of awareness.