A woman in New Hampshire is accused of shoving her elderly dog off a dock into a lake, watching the dog drown.

On June 8, Merrimack police responded to a call regarding a dog that had drowned in Naticook lake. Witnesses told officers they saw 66-year-old Nancy Bucciarelli push her elderly dog off a dock and into the lake, WMUR, Fox6 and the Associated Press report. When the dog struggled to swim, the woman allegedly made no attempt to save it.

“It is a sad story. It’s unconscionable to think what this defendant is charged with,” Merrimack Police Chief Denise Roy said, WMUR reports.

Witnesses said the dog, an 11-year-old golden retriever named Bailey, was winded after walking around the area prior to drowning. When they noticed Bailey struggling, they attempted to save the dog.

“The witnesses actually are the ones who jumped into the water to find the dog under the water and pull the dog out. They made every attempt to revive the dog, but unfortunately the dog did die,” Roy said.

Bailey drowned in 3 1/2 feet water of water.

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On Friday, Bucciarelli turned herself into authorities. She is facing a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge.

After news of her alleged crimes were announced, police issued a message on their Facebook condemning bullying.

“Although this charge is disturbing, we are asking the community to use restraint when commenting on social media,” Roy said in the Facebook status. “We are imploring the public to allow the justice system to work and to refrain from comments which are cruel in nature. We teach our children to not bully and some of the comments contradict what we teach. Please set an example for everyone. Thank you for your understanding.”

Bucciarelli was released on personal recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on June 27, NBC reports. It is unclear whether Bucciarelli has an attorney to comment on her behalf.

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