Merrimack police were called to Wasserman Park around 7:30 p.m. on June 8 as distressed bystanders reported trying to help a drowning dog in Naticook Lake, MSN.com reported.
Witnesses told officers that Nancy Bucciarelli, 66, pushed her dog into the lake from a dock and just stood by and watched as it tried to swim, then finally drowned.
Bystanders ran into the water and tried to save the dog, but it was too late, according to MSN.
JUST IN: @MerrimackPD arrested 66 yo Nancy Bucciarelli on a charge of cruelty to animals. Police say on June 8, Bucciarelli pushed her 11 yo Golden Retriever from a dock into Naticook Lake where it struggled to swim and eventually drowned. She made no effort to help. #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/737qJdDyf1
— David Rothstein (@TheDRnews) June 15, 2019
Police said they verified the details of the situation and issued an arrest warrant for Bucciarelli.
She turned herself in Friday and was arrested on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. She was released on her own recognizance and is scheduled for a court appearance next month.
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