'Drugged' dog used by buskers in Edinburgh for begging has been rescued

Jack the St Bernard has finally been rescued after reports he was being 'drugged up' and used for begging | other

Fans of the St Bernard, called Jack, grew concerned and set up a Facebook page called "Save Jack the St Bernard."..

Since pushing for the dog's welfare online, Jack has been rescued.

Jack the St Bernard has finally been rescued after reports of him being 'drugged-up' and used for begging in the streets of Edinburgh | other

The charity St Bernard Trust has since taken Jack in and funded his vet care.

It confirmed Jack tested positive for benzodiazepine, a psycho active drug.

A spokesperson said: "Jack is now safe and has a wonderful new home environment with other doggy friends.

Police in Dublin rescued Jack after campaigners spread the word about him being 'drugged up' and used for begging | other

"St Bernard Trust will continue to fund Jacks on going vet care."

Campaigners fighting for Jack's safety believed the dog was drugged because it didn't react when people walked up to him.

They also complained that Jack and other busker dogs were not provided with water despite spending several hours at a time sitting in the street.

Animal lover Jim Loog took the situation one step further and set up petition "STOP THE USE AND ABUSE OF BUSKER DOGS IN STREETS" , which featured a picture of Jack.

More than 11,000 people have signed the petition since it was launched.

Jim claimed that the buskers who owned these dogs "beat them, kick them, drug them and keep them over night in tiny cramped cages in the back of vans."