Disturbing Video Shows Teenage Girl Setting Dog On Fire, Other Similar Incidents

A viral video of a teenager shooting flames towards a dog in Guilford County, North Carolina, has prompted the authorities to launch an investigation into animal cruelty.

The video that was first posted on Snapchat and later shared on other social networking sites such as Facebook over the weekend, shows a girl lighting an aerosol can and using the flames to shoot at a dog in a backyard. The other girl apparently recorded the incident on her phone. The caption of the video read: "She burnt the dog."

After the incident was brought to the notice of the authorities, animal control Sunday went to the dog's home to begin the investigation, Fox 8 reported. According to the Guilford County Sherrif's Office, the dog's fur was singed in multiple places, however, the skin did not suffer serious damages. The dog was taken from the house and is currently being housed at Guilford County Animal Shelter, reports said.

The two girls are aged 13 and 14. “There could be, possibly, very serious charges,” Sergeant. David Posten with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office told Fox 8. Authorities are yet to press any charges because of the serious nature of them, added Posten.

Talking about the possible motivation, he said, "At this point, I have no idea what led up to the act. I just know what we saw with the video." According to the Daily Mail, a juvenile investigator would be brought in but the decision on what the charges would be, if any, would rest with the district attorney’s office.

This is not the first incident of teens being involved in animal cruelty. According to a list by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, two teenagers from Virginia were charged with cruelty to animals after allegedly setting live hamster on fire by dousing it in gasoline. The video was posted on Snapchat in July 2016.

In another incident, three Florida teens between the age of 13 and 14 were seen throwing a rabbit repeatedly against the wall in a Snapchat video. The animal suffered a fracture in the leg and sustained other injuries. Charges of animal cruelty were pressed against the three teens.

A video surfaced in Texas last year in which students in a local chapter of Young Life (a Christian youth organization) were seen throwing live chickens around the room and against a wall — calling it a “team-building exercise.” One of the chickens died after the incident.

In a recent incident, two children in Charlton County, Georgia, were seen using a Taser on a kitten and laughing once it got zapped. Referring to the incident, Nassau County Animal Services Director Timothy Maguire said: "The damage is done, not only physically, but mentally to that cat."