Police in Egypt arrest man seen dragging stray dog behind his car in viral video

Man reportedly thought his children would be entertained by the abuse of the animal

A police officer at Qasr El Nil street in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters

Officials from Egypt's Ministry of Interior on Monday arrested a man who appeared in a widely circulated video showing him tying up and dragging a stray dog behind his car.

The incident angered thousands of Egyptian social media users, who called for his arrest.

Many were particularly appalled over the intention behind the crime. The man happened upon the stray dog and thought his children would be entertained by the abuse of the animal.

The man's motives were confirmed in a Monday statement from the ministry.

Videos on social media showed residents of the New Cairo district accosting the man in the street and screaming profanities at him for his cruel treatment of the dog.

Though the dog survived the incident, it sustained significant injuries, said Egypt’s Animal Protection Foundation, a non-profit organisation that shelters animals and campaigns against their abuse.

The foundation is working on taking the dog to their shelter, a Sunday Instagram post from the organisation showed.

The man will be presented to a public prosecutor to answer for his crime, the ministry said.