A woman from Merrimack, New Hampshire, has been accused of pushing her elderly golden retriever into a lake and watching him drown.

According to WMUR, 66-year-old Nancy Bucciarelli pushed her 11-year-old dog, Bailey, into the shallow waters of Naticook Lake from a dock at Wasserman Park on Saturday, June 8, while several witnesses watched on in horror.

Police said Bailey had been winded from walking before he was pushed into the lake and alleged that his 66-year-old owner did nothing as the dog struggled in the water and eventually drowned. Witnesses who saw the incident unfold reportedly told authorities that they saw the elderly golden retriever struggling and that they tried to help him, but that it was too late.

Bailey had drowned in what was approximately just 3.5-feet of water and an investigation by the Merrimack Police Department's animal control officer found Bucciarelli made no attempt to rescue the dog.

Speaking about the incident, Merrimack Police Chief Denise Roy said, "It is a sad story. It's unconscionable to think what this defendant is charged with." Roy also confirmed that witnesses at the lake tried to rescue 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," she said. "They made every attempt to revive the dog, but, unfortunately, the dog did die."

In a statement released on their Facebook page, the MPD requested the public to refrain from flooding Bucciarelli's social media. "Although this charge is disturbing, we are asking the community to use restraint when commenting on social media," it read. "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."

It was a sentiment echoed by Roy. "There's become a social media frenzy that we don't want," she revealed. "She's charged with a horrific crime; however, this doesn't help. This actually feeds into it and makes it worse, and it really stops the process from happening effectively."

Bucciarelli is facing a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge in connection to the incident. She was released on personal recognizance and is scheduled to make her first appearance in court on June 27.

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