WARNING: EXPLICIT PICTURE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ARTICLE
The shocking images and videos were first uploaded by witnesses to Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging site, over the weekend and quickly went viral.
The footage showed the distressed labrador chained to the back of a car on a busy road in Shantou, a city in southern China. Unable to keep pace with the car, the dog is being dragged behind it, and its hind legs appear to be bleeding.
"One friend suggested I should stone the dog to death"
The images left people horrified, with one user writing: "Simply unbelievable. Just what did the dog do wrong that it had to be treated this way?"
Another added: "What were those who took pictures thinking about? If everyone got out of their cars to stop him, would the dog be abused to death?"
The incident sparked an online manhunt (known as a 'human flesh search') for the driver, and the car plate number clearly seen in the pictures facilitated the process.
Soon the man's name, address and telephone number were shared on Sina Weibo, which forced the driver to take responsibility for his actions.
Appearing on a Shantou Television news program, the driver - known only as Mr Zheng - apologised for his actions.
He said: Speaking to Shantou TV he said: "It was not my intention to do this … I had no choice because it bites a lot. Yesterday my wife told me to get rid of this dog. One friend suggested I should stone the dog to death. I couldn't do it, that's why I tied this dog behind my car to get rid of it.
"When I was driving, I couldn't see this dog from the rear-view mirror. Another driver questioned me about what I was doing. I told them that this is a mad dog and I am going to dispose of it."
An animal rights group that cares for cats and dogs in the Guangdong province has now organised a campaign to find the missing dog, which Mr Zheng dumped - alive - by the roadside after the dragging incident.
Ms Chen, a spokesperson for the group, said: "Our volunteers ran to the scene, but found nothing."