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.
