A road rage incident where animal abuse was caught on camera in a video currently going viral is under investigation by police.

The highly disturbing video shows a dog being used as a weapon, swung around by its leash during an altercation.

Police are investigating after someone violently abused a dog during road rage incident in Dartmouth [WARNING: Sensitive content] https://t.co/dPuHDBIlpm pic.twitter.com/YF9zdUJaGq

— Freshdaily (@freshdaily) July 4, 2020

The incident took place on July 1 at 5:30 p.m. on Windmill Road in Dartmouth, a community in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, according to a statement released by Halifax Regional Police.

"The altercation started after two females in one vehicle confronted two females in the second vehicle regarding being cut off in a drive-thru," says the statement.

"Police attended the scene and those involved did not wish to pursue assault charges. There were initial reports of a dog being involved but the extent was not clear at the time. Officers checked on two dogs in one vehicle while at the scene and they appeared to be in good health."

Police investigate physical altercation and mistreatment of dog. pic.twitter.com/sASliPquwh

— Halifax_Police (@HfxRegPolice) July 4, 2020

Halifax Regional Police learned of the video circulating on social media and are now "continuing to investigate the mistreatment of the dog," encouraging anyone with tips to contact them.

Animal abuse literally makes me sick to my fucking stomach that video going around of that woman with that dog in Dartmouth makes me rage if anyone did that to Remi I would fucking kill them take me away for murder gladly

— Hayley (@queen_of_DQ) July 4, 2020

Obviously, people on social media are horrified over the incident.

In Dartmouth Canada some woman used another womans dog as a weapon, swinging it by its leash and choking it. This is pure savagery.

— Chencebrensen (@chencebrensen) July 4, 2020

One person called the incident "pure savagery."

@NEWS957 @HalifaxPolice @halifaxnews Please tell us the public that something is being done here. What a way for Dartmouth to be trending on twitter https://t.co/Wj9pgi6XRY

— TheRealMShaw (@HFXShaw) July 4, 2020

Many Canadians are disappointed to see that this is the reason Dartmouth is trending on Twitter.

That dog being swung by it's leash video from an apparent road rage incident in #Dartmouth is GD awful. The poo doggie. DO NOT WATCH IT. FFS. Person needs to be charged. Holy cripes.

— The Laker News - Pat Healey 🇨🇦 (@ReprtrPatHealey) July 4, 2020

Many others are saying the person who swung the dog around definitely deserves to be charged.

I won't share the video, but I hope the woman in Dartmouth that pulled someone's dog out of a car and spun it like a mace to attack someone goes to jail for a very long time. Don't look for the video. It's as awful as you can imagine.

— Dannie (@dgodin1234) July 4, 2020

One hoped she "goes to jail for a very long time."

As the proud owner of my first ever puppy (got him less than 24 hours ago), I’d like to see this woman arrested #dartmouth

— Michael Kydd (@_eno_on_ma_I) July 4, 2020

A new dog owner said they'd "like to see this woman arrested." 

Unfortunately it's not the only incident of animal abuse involving dogs to take place in Canada recently. Just two weeks ago hundreds of puppies were discovered on a flight arriving to Toronto from the Ukraine, many of which were dead or in poor health, highlighting our need as a country to do more to root out animal abuse.