South Dublin locals were terrified and concerned after they discovered bones and a skull bundled into an abandoned child's schoolbag over the weekend.
Residents of The Steeples in Chapelizod were quick to phone gardai who rushed to the scene after the startling find.
One of the locals had been walking their dog when the animal sniffed out the bones and a skull which were packaged up in separate bags inside the child's schoolbag.
After detailed investigation by Gardai, it was found that the bones were belong to an animal of some kind in what turned out to be a horrible case of animal cruelty.
A spokeswoman for Gardai told Dublin Live: "We attended the scene after receiving a call about the bones.
"It transpired that the bones are that of an animal. Someone had put an animal in a bag and thrown it away. No further investigation will take place.
