A dead dog has been found 'crucified' upside down at the gate of the Oratory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mosta.

The grim discovery was made at about 7.15 a.m.

It is the second such discovery in Mosta since a dog was similarly found - a month ago to the day - nailed to the door of the residence where a murder took place.

In both cases, a note was found with the dog.

An investigation has been launched.

The incident was the latest in a series of incidents involving extreme cruelty to dogs in recent months.

On September 30, a jogger in Kalkara heard movements in a skip and found a boxer dog close to suffocation tied inside in a black garbage bag. The boxer, named Gaia, died later in the day.

Last May, another dog, later named Star, was found buried alive in a field with nose poking through the soil gasping for air. The dog had been shot in the head and died three weeks later.

The following month, three dead Pharoah hounds Klieb tal-Fenek were found dead tied together in the sea off Marsalforn.