Man arrested after allegedly setting his dog on fire

WATCH ABOVE: A Georgia man was arrested after allegedly dousing a pit bull with flammable liquid then setting the dog ablaze. WXIA’s Kevin Rowson reports.

TORONTO – A Georgia man has been charged with arson and cruelty to animals after allegedly trapping his dog inside a dog house and lighting the structure on fire.

Doctors at the Cobb Emergency Veterinary Clinic say a one-year-old pit bull named ‘Royalti’ was brought to them May 12 with first and second degree burns covering over 60 per cent of her body.

According to the Cobb County Police Department, she had been found burned in the backyard of a home in Smyrna, a community stuck between Atlanta and Marietta.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“She is still in pretty severe pain, but she tolerates it very well and she’s got another painful four to six weeks ahead of her,” Dr. Regan Burford told WXIA. “It’s amazing how well she seems to handle everything.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "She is still in pretty severe pain, but she tolerates it very well and she's got another painful four to six weeks ahead of her," Dr. Regan Burford <a href="http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/smyrna/2015/05/20/dog-arson-cruelty-smyrna/27687945/" target="_blank">told WXIA</a>. "It's amazing how well she seems to handle everything."

View image in full screen

The homeowner, Caleb Lanier, is facing two charges and has also been accused of using a flammable accelerant to ignite the blaze.

Royalti, meanwhile, is on the road to recovery but will need an extensive – and expensive – amount of treatment to return to good health. Veterinarians have setup a GoFundMe page to help raise money to cover some of the costs.

She has also since been adopted by Dr. Burford and her fiancé.

“She’s a sweetheart and we’re going to do everything we can for her,” Dr. Burford added.