A dog was tied up and burned to death on a Halloween bonfire in Co Tyrone at the weekend, it was revealed today.
Sickened local residents tried to rescue the dog, but were beaten back by the flames.
The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) said the horrific incident happened in the Glebe area near Sion Mills, Co Tyrone at a Halloween celebration on Sunday night.
Mr Stephen Philpott, director of the USPCA, condemned the killing of the animal, but said such incidents were not isolated.
"In the course of our work, we come across some pretty blatant and mindless acts of cruelty against animals," he said. "Unfortunately at times like Halloween, when some sort of social responsibility gets diminished right across the board, people carry out these acts and think they are funny."
Firework attacks on swans and cats had also been reported, he said.
The PSNI said they were aware of the incident and would be investigating if an allegation of ill-treatment of the dog was made to them.