Odinga Hodgson of Bailey's Bay told The Royal Gazette he was devastated to find his dog with its throat slashed and strangled yesterday morning.

"I came out and he had been strangled and chopped in the head a couple of times,'' Mr. Hodgson said.

The seven-year-old Afghan hound, named "Domino'', was his two daughters' pet.

"I went to university in France, bought him there and raised him since he was a puppy,'' Mr. Hodgson recalled. "He travelled all around Europe with me as well.'' He was distressed about how he was going to tell his two daughters what happened to their pet.

The Bermuda Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had received a complaint ten days ago about the dog's constant barking, SPCA inspector Louis Ray said.

"Myself and my assistant went to investigate and we found everything in order,'' he added. "But I left a calling card and the owner responded.'' Mr. Ray noted that the owner was polite and kept the dog on a piece of property he owned in Bailey's Bay. But he agreed to take the dog home every night after the complaint.

"Unfortunately,'' Mr. Ray said, "he left it there that (Thursday) night.'' The dog was untied from its leash and killed two feet away from the spot were it was kept.

Both Mr. Ray and Government dog warden Leonard (Shinah) Simons said the killing made no sense.

"If people have a problem with dogs barking, they should first try to contact the owners and reach a compromise,'' Mr. Ray stressed. "This guy (the owner) is very accommodating. It's a shame that someone would do something like this to a dog.'' When asked whether he knew of anyone who might have committed such a senseless offence, Mr. Hodgson said: "I don't know any body who could do something like this.'' Mr. Simons said an autopsy would be carried out by a veterinarian and he, the SPCA, the Police would be working together on the case to determine whether charges will be filed.

If convicted, the maximum penalty that one could face for such a crime is a $500 fine and a year in prison, he added.