A woman accused of pushing her pet Golden Retriever into a lake and watching him drown has been arrested.
Nancy Bucciarelli has been charged with animal cruelty pertaining to the horrific incident which occurred on June 8.
Police say the 66-year-old li was with her 11-year-old dog, Bailey, at Naticook Lake in New Hampshire when she launched him off a dock into three feet of water.
The incident was witnessed by several bystanders, who claim that the woman watched as the elderly canine struggled to swim.
He eventually drowned in the shallow water.
Officers were called to the scene, and recovered Bailey's body, before theorizing that Bucciarelli had indeed pushed the pooch into the lake.
Merrimack police Chief Denise Roy told WMUR9 : "It is a sad story. It's unconscionable to think what this defendant is charged with.
"The witnesses actually are the ones who jumped into the water to find the dog under the water and pull the dog out.
"They made every attempt to revive the dog, but unfortunately the dog did die."
Bucciarelli's Facebook page features several photos of Bailey appearing loved and well cared for.
One image, shared in December 2014, shows Bucciarelli with her arms around the Golden Retriever.
However, the accused has now been inundated with hateful comments on her Facebook page.
Chief Roy pleaded with the public not to join in on the cyber attacks against Bucciarelli.
He said: "She's charged with a horrific crime; however, this doesn't help. This actually feeds into it and makes it worse, and it really stops the process from happening effectively."
Bucciaelli is due to appear in court on June 27.
