Investigations into the death of three Pharaoh hounds found floating off Marsalforn on Tuesday revealed they were not suffocated but had died some five days earlier, the police said ­yesterday.

Sources said this indicated the dogs may have been dead before they were dumped at sea.

The cause of death has still to be established. Veterinary examinations showed no visible injuries on the three dogs and they were well kept before they died.

“The nylon cord found around the neck of each dog was not tight enough to suffocate the animals and it was most probably used as a leash,” the police said as they investigate the case.

On Tuesday at noon the police were informed that a floating body had been sighted at sea. It turned out to be three dogs tied by a nylon cord.

The incident, described as “a savage case of cruelty”, has been strongly condemned by animal welfare organisations.

The discovery came a week after Star, a mixed-breed dog, succumbed to its injuries after being shot in the head with 40 lead pellets, tied and buried alive in a field in Birżebbuġa. That case spurred a national demonstration against animal cruelty.

Investigations into Star’s cruel treatment are still under way, the police said.

In the past three years eight persons have been handed suspended jail terms for animal ­cruelty.