TO HUNDREDS of mortified Hampshire dog lovers there's no question of whether or not it's a crime.

When the Daily Echo published a picture of a cocker spaniel being dragged from the River Test with a 10-kilogram weight strapped to its neck, readers demanded justice.

Scores of animal lovers across the country pledged nearly £9,000 as a reward fund to catch whoever dumped the dog and to make sure they were banned for life from owning pets.

But today it is unclear whether or not a crime has been committed under the Protection of Animals Act.

A post-mortem report failed to establish whether the dog died because of cruel owners or from natural causes.

The vet who carried out the test said the dog had suffered from a heart condition, a mammary tumour and a bad ear, but showed no signs of having received treatment for the illnesses.

She could not be certain the dog had died because of cruel owners but she did not rule it out.

If the dog died of natural causes there are no grounds to charge the owners with cruelty - even though they callously dumped its corpse in a river.

Now RSPCA inspectors have called off investigations saying there is little more they can do unless witnesses come forward.

Spokeswoman Lucy Harding said: "Unfortunately in a case such as this a prosecution would be very difficult to bring about. We would be unable to prosecute someone for dumping this dog in the river."

Geoff Culbertson, wildlife crime officer for Hampshire police, said there could be a charge under environmental law.

But if the culprit was found guilty there would be no chance of them receiving a ban on owning animals.

He said: "The owner got rid of the dog with an inappropriate method which isn't a crime as far as I'm aware.

"The only chance this case has got is if two or more people come forward who witnessed the owner being cruel to the dog."