Cruelty charges laid after animal set on fire in Orillia, Ont.

Ontario Provincial Police have arrested and charged a person with cruelty to animals after an animal was found on fire in downtown Orillia last month.

On Monday, Sept. 16 around 5 p.m., Orillia OPP officers and firefighters responded to a call about an animal in distress at the intersection of Colborne Street East and West Street South.

Const. Derek Tilley says officers found the animal in question and “it had clearly been on fire.”

“The animal is believed to have died by succumbing to the injuries that it received through the fire. Our officers then investigated by looking around the area and were able to locate accelerant within the area,” Tilley says.

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Police later received video footage of a person of interest leaving the area around 4:50 p.m.

After help from the public, police arrested a 29-year-old man from Orillia and charged him with arson, mischief and cruelty to animals causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury.