Warning
SICK & TWISTED
Cruel kids set puppy on FIRE ‘for social media likes’ and then laugh as it is engulfed in flames and runs away in terror
THIS is the appalling moment cruel kids set a puppy on fire and then laughed as it was engulfed in flames and ran off in terror.
The distressing abuse filmed in Romania was done to get 'likes' on social media, say cops.
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The footage shows a small group of children standing around the poor puppy, which is looking around nervously.
The young sickos douse its back with a flammable liquid, and then set fire to it with a lighter.
After a few clicks, the liquid ignites, setting the animal and street alight.
Engulfed in flames, the dog - which has been turned into a fireball - runs down the road and into the darkness.
One twisted child can be heard laughing and, just as the video ends, a girl can be heard screaming.
The shocking clip was taken at night in the Zarnesti commune, in south-western Romania’s Buzau county.
Cops have confirmed they have opened a criminal case of animal cruelty in response to the pup's inhumane treatment.
They also told reporters that the stomach-churning video was posted on social media by a 13-year-old.
Two other children were also involved, say police, but their ages haven't been released.
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The Minister of Internal Affairs, Ion Marcel Vela, 57, said the pup had been found still alive despite the disgusting abuse.
It's since been given to the animal protection association Kola Kariola, which will take care of it.
Vela said that the animal had been the victim of a terrible crime committed by several kids.
He confirmed they had poured highly inflammable acetone on the animal before torching it.
The children hurt the dog in a desperate attempt to get 'likes' on social media after sharing the sickening attack online, the politician added.
He said: "Cruelty to animals committed by young people has extremely serious implications for their later behaviour and can quickly become violence against other people.”
The Minister suggested that animal abuse in this part of Romania should be tackled with a special task group within the police force.
The Humane Society says violence against animals has been linked to a higher likelihood of criminal violence and domestic abuse.
In the US, forensic veterinarian Melinda Merck has been studying and solving animal abuse cases for more than 20 years.
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She’s adamant that there’s a link between animal cruelty and other serious crimes, like domestic violence, arson, and murder, says .
According to animal rights group PETA, in the US, "43 per cent of killers carrying out schoolyard massacres had commited acts of cruelty to animals beforehand".
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"Animals have often been targets of aggression prior to school shootings," it says.
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