Cops: NH Woman Shoved Her 'Old, Winded' Dog to Its Death

In what police describe as a horrific case of animal cruelty, a New Hampshire woman has been arrested for allegedly shoving her dog into a lake and watching it drown. Nancy Bucciarelli, 66, was arrested Friday and charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports. Police say witnesses saw the Merrimack resident walking the "old and easily winded" golden retriever before pushing it off a dock at Naticook Lake on June 8, reports CNN. Police say the 11-year-old dog struggled to swim and eventually drowned in 3.5 feet of water. Witnesses say Bucciarelli made no attempt to rescue the animal.

"It is a sad story. It's unconscionable to think what this defendant is charged with," Merrimack Police Chief Denise Roy tells WMUR. She says witnesses tried to help the dog after they saw it struggling. "The witnesses actually are the ones who jumped into the water to find the dog under the water and pull the dog out," Roy says. "They made every attempt to revive the dog, but unfortunately the dog did die." Roy says that while Bucciarelli is charged with a "horrific crime," the "social media frenzy" surrounding the case is not helping. (This animal cruelty case had a happier ending.)

(More animal cruelty stories.)