A PET owner has faced a backlash from thousands of horrified animal lovers after an online video showed three dogs being 'walked' behind a car in South Lakeland.

Shot on a country lane in Milnthorpe by a concerned member of the public, the video shows three dogs, believed to be German Short Haired Pointers, with their leads attached to a tow-bar of a moving Land Rover.

The video went viral on Facebook, attracting more than 100,000 views, hundreds of shares and thousands of comments from outraged people who criticised the driver's 'lazy' and 'dangerous' behaviour.

One person who commented, Linda Evans, said: "This needs to be reported to authorities, it's cruel, negligent, reckless and dangerous."

Another commenter, Kim Henly said: "What pleasure can these poor creatures get from this experience? Terrible."

Wendy Higgins, director of international media at Humane Society International, said: "Responsible dog ownership precludes tethering your canine companions to the back of your car where they could be hit by another vehicle or trip and be dragged by the vehicle.

"Caring for the welfare of our pets means taking the time to ensure their safety and that was woefully lacking in this rather concerning case."

Some online users have suggested alternative reasons for the choice of action, such as an old farmers' trick to teach dogs to stop chasing cars.

The couple who posted the video on Facebook said they reported the incident to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (RSPCA) and the police.

An RSPCA spokesperson said they had seen the video, and wanted to correct rumours circulating online regarding the dog owners' identity.

Their spokesperson told The Westmorland Gazette: "The RSPCA has had footage passed to us of three dogs being 'walked' down a country lane in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, attached to the tow-bar of a 4x4.

"We've shown the footage to a vet and spoken to the owner of the dogs [on Monday] afternoon - who are all in good health - and advised that this isn't an acceptable method of exercise.

"Despite reports on social media, the owner of the dogs is not a dog breeder and does not own a dog walking business."

The RSPCA is not pursuing any further action against the dog owner.