Hong Kong police said on Sunday that they have launched an animal cruelty investigation after a photo of a dog being "cleaned" in a washing machine was uploaded on Facebook by an individual going by the name of Jacky Lo.

A spokeswoman from the Hong Kong Police has told the media that the pictures posted are a case of suspected animal cruelty.

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Images uploaded show the small, white dog struggling to keep his head above water while the machine was fully operational. Another was of the dog trying to climb out of the washing machine.

The photos were posted because Lo apparently wanted to show people a quick way to bathe a dog.

The individual also replied to a Facebook comment asking about the dog's well-being by stating that the dog had been killed and asking the commenter if they wanted to see it.

It is not yet clear whether Jacky Lo is a genuine name and if the dog is still alive.

The photos were uploaded last month and went viral just last week, sparking anger in Hong Kong. Over 20,000 signatures have been submitted in an online petition urging the police to do something about the situation.

One comment from a signatory under the name Ms. Belinda Heng said, "If you really are a pet lover you will not (be) so cruel to kill such a cute little dog. Come on you are a man, not a beast."

There have been no updates regarding the arrest of Lo. However, it is said that he might have fled and returned to China.

He posted on his Facebook page on Sunday a link to the petition together with the words:  "Wanted?? This afternoon I'm going back to China. See ya later."

Ms. Rebecca Ngan, the spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said that the situation is horrific and that police should arrest Lo. She added that they do not recommend sharing and circulating the photo so as not to lead to other similar cases.

If Lo is proven guilty of animal cruelty, he will be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison and a fine of HK$200,000.

TagsDog, Cleaned, washing machine, Online Petition, Hong Kong, animal cruelty, Hong Kong Police, Jacky Lo, society of prevention of cruelty to animals, spca, washing machine dog