In a case of extreme animal cruelty, a dog owner chopped off her pet’s paw with a knife for annoying the neighbors.

Youth for Social Change, an NGO, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the incident. According to the post, the dog’s owner in Vietnam took this extreme step after her neighbors complained that the canine was attacking their chickens and ducks. The exact date of the incident was not known.

“This 3-year-old pooch was allowed to roam freely in her yard and in the community and managed to annoy dozens of neighbors after going after their chickens and ducks. When the neighbors complained to the owner, the woman decided some form of punishment needed to take place: so the next day she peacefully grabbed a kitchen knife and used it to cut the dog’s paw; all of this while her husband filmed the entire scene. The woman acted so calmly and natural, it is simply unbelievable how she managed to keep calm,” the post read.

The dog was left with no medical attention for several days until the incident went viral on social media. Animal activists rescued the canine and took it to an animal hospital for treatment. A surgery was performed, however, doctors weren’t able to save the dog’s leg. The canine’s health improved and it was transferred to an animal shelter. But when the animal activists decided to put the dog up for adoption, its original owner started visiting the canine regularly.

She pleaded for the dog to be returned to her. Her neighbors too said the woman loved her dog. A few days later, the dog was returned to the woman.

“After weeks of insisting, the dog was finally returned to the woman! It is simply quite startling and I have no words to describe this situation. Because there are no animal welfare laws in the country, this woman will not be held accountabe for her actions, but (will) get to do it all over again, anytime she chooses, after being granted the right to take the dog back home,” the post stated. The post, which also had the video of the incident, has since gone viral with over 600,000 views.

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In this image, a dog's paw reaches through the kennel fence at the Queen Anne's County Department of Animal Service in Queenstown, Maryland, Jan. 24, 2008. Getty Images/Jim Watson