Animal rights activists on Thursday called for psychiatric evaluation of the eight juveniles who burnt three puppies alive and filmed the act.

The boys were detained and referred to the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) after the video went viral on on social media on Wednesday.

N.G. Jayasimha, managing director of Humane Society International/India HSI/India, said the violence could be an indicator of other abuses and potential serious anti-social behaviour in adulthood, including criminal offences.

“As an animal welfare advocate and as a parent, it breaks my heart to see the suffering the animals have gone through and the possible violent history that the youngsters must have had to deal with to resort to this kind of action,” he said.

The boys, all said to be under the age of 18, committed the cruelty in a graveyard in Musheerabad area of Hyderabad.

The police took the action following a complaint by Shreya Paropkari, cruelty response manager for HSI/India, and Vasanthi Vadi of People for Animals Hyderabad.

The video shows the boys carrying three puppies, approximately two months old, by their hind legs and burning them alive under a pile of dried branches, sticks and jute sacks.

The puppies struggled to escape while the culprits pushed them back and held them down under the burning fire using poles.

HIS/India pointed out that the case in Hyderabad closely follows the recent infamous episode of a dog being thrown off a terrace by medical students in Chennai.

“However, in most cases, the accused are able to get away with paying a meagre fine of Rs. 50, the maximum penalty prescribed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960,” it said.

“It’s time we study and understand the importance of violent behaviour towards animals in children and the domino effect it could have in other forms of violence,” it added.