A family is distraught after their pet dog was found dismembered in an Auckland creek on Wednesday.
Hera and her partner Jeffrey say Simba went missing the morning of February 19 from their Pukekohe home.
They then spent an anxious two-and-a-half weeks searching for him with the help of family, friends and neighbours.
A neighbour then complained to the council about a bad smell near her house which prompted them to investigate the nearby local creek.
Hera told Newshub when Simba was found in the water, there was "no head at all" and most of his fur was missing.
She said she's horrified that someone could do something so cruel.
"Why could you do that to someone else? We breathe the same air. It's disgusting, it really is disgusting."
She doesn’t believe it was a targeted attack because her community knew Simba was a kind and friendly dog.
While Hera and Jeffrey don't know who's responsible, she wants them to face the consequences.
"If they can do that to an animal, just imagine what they could do to a human, to somebody else, to another animal.
"They need to be put away."
Although Simba has been buried, the family plan on digging him up so an autopsy can be done in Mt Wellington. They hope he will be cremated after that.
"All we want is answers and no one's speaking up," Hera said.
