Birds burnt alive in shocking case of animal cruelty

A MAN has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty after allegedly burning 12 birds alive in Sydney’s south.

It’s alleged the man set fire to a pigeon coop at a house on Harris Street at Rosebery on Wednesday morning.

Police said the resident was woken by a neighbour just after 7am who told him his bird coop was on fire.

Firefighters raced to the secne and extinguished the blaze, which had consumed the cage.

Sadly, a dozen of the 37 pigeons inside the coop perished in the fire.

Police were called and arrested a 33-year-old man nearby.

Officers then executed a crime scene warrant at a nearby premises where they allegedly located a barbeque lighter, Oxycontin and an amount of cannabis.

The man was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was charged with a list of offences, including commit an aggravated act of aggravated cruelty upon animals, damage property by fire and intimidation.

He was also charged with possessing a prohibited drug and possessing a prescribed restricted substance.

The 33-year-old was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court today.