The father of an Arizona toddler has been charged with child abuse after allegedly throwing his 23-month-old daughter into a swimming pool as punishment for accidentally drowning a puppy.

A disturbing video of the incident, which was captured on a surveillance camera, shows Corey McCarthy, 23, grabbing his daughter Mia by the shoulders and hurling her into the pool at a home in Phoenix.

The footage shows a woman in the pool rushing to rescue the toddler.

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According to reports, police allege Mr McCarthy, who does not have custody of the child, threw his daughter into the water after she had dropped a five-week-old puppy into the pool and it had died.

Reports claim Mr McCarthy told police he wanted to teach the girl a lesson about playing around water.

Speaking to AZFamily.com the child's mother, Samantha said she was "very angry" and "very hurt" by Mr McCarthy.

She added: "What people don't know is also in the beginning of the video, he hoses her down with a water hose to kind of torture her that way."

Then you see him taunting her, like throwing her like he's gonna, then he's not, throwing her like he's gonna, then he's not," she said.

The couple reportedly have two children together.

Under Arizona law any disciplining of a child must be 'reasonable' and not expose the child to any danger.

According to AZFamily.com Mr McCarthy has since been hospitalised after an incident in jail.