A FAMILY'S dog's throat was slit and an elastic band placed around the wound in cruel attacks that have shocked his Queensland owners.
Jack, a 14-month-old silky terrier, was found with his throat cut ear to ear at his family's Oakey home, west of Toowoomba, on Sunday.
Antoinette Eather said her daughter screamed after going outside to play and finding the injured pet.
"We went running out and his throat had been cut,'' Ms Eather said.
''... It's definitely been done with a very sharp knife just from ear to ear, it's very deep.''
But after taking Jack to be treated at the vet, the family was shocked to discover the dog's torturer returned the next day.
"I went outside the check on the dog and I thought to myself that my son - he's only three - had put his collar back on,'' Ms Eather said.
"I looked again and it was an elastic band wrapped around his neck, obviously to finish him off or something.''
She said the family was at a loss as to who would do such a thing in their close-knit neighbourhood.
"I was petrified when I found him with the elastic band around his neck,'' she said.
"I thought to myself, who could do this a second time around?
Ms Eather said police were investigating the attack, as well as an attack on a second dog nearby.
She said the family were not sure whether Jack had been attacked in their yard or elsewhere.
Staffordshire bull terrier (file photo) 
In what the  calls a "horrific" case of animal cruelty, a dog's jaw was taped shut, and its throat cut, in , Australia.

The Staffordshire mix, who was found by police in a critical condition last Thursday, was reportedly struggling to breath and bleeding heavily due to her throat being slashed and her muzzle being bound.

"The way they cut was almost down to the larynx, so muscles were cut but luckily they missed the jugular veins," said Sarah Gill, the vet who stitched the 10 cm long, 3 cm deep cut.

In a statement reported on Tuesday, Inspector Cameron Buswell, a law enforcement officer with the RSPCA animal welfare charity, said it is hard to comprehend that there are people in the community capable of this level of cruelty.

"This would have to be up there as one of the more horrific cases we've dealt with ...The poor dog must have been petrified. How she didn't die is miraculous." he said.

Named 'Franky' by rescuers, the dog is progressing well along her road to recovery, has a warm, loving and kind nature, and has begun to come out of her shell, Buswell said.

"She is a really nice natured animal and she loves being with people."

This has become apart of string of violent attacks on pets in  Queensland. Another dog in North Queensland named 'Boof' was beaten and left to die with a 30 kg chain around his neck in January. In May, a family dog in  had its throat slit and a rubber band placed around the wound, twice. 

The RSPCA is appealing for information from the public regarding the person or persons responsible for the latest attack.