POLICE have charged a 13-year-old Ararat boy following a video posted to social media on Thursday of the torture and death of a goose.
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The video, which ran for one minute 10 seconds, shows the boy attacking a goose, which has been shot with an arrow, while another male filmed.
Sergeant Brett Johnson from Ararat Police said a member of the public called Thursday afternoon and informed the police of the Facebook video.
"From my understanding it was reported that the post showed a disturbing act of cruelty on an animal, a bird, and then the police officers were then able to view it in some way," he said.
"The two offenders that we know of were identified, so police attended the address of the offender who was observed to be executing the cruelty and made an arrest."
The boy was interviewed back at the Ararat Police Station on Thursday night and has been charged and bailed with aggravated cruelty to an animal. He will appear at Ararat Children's Court at a later date.
Penalties associated with the prevention of cruelty to animals act include serious fines and even jail time.
It is believed that the posts are from sometime in January this year.
Sgt Johnson said the video drew community outrage on social media.
"There are a lot of posts, I read a couple of them and they indicated anger and disgust," he said.
"These sorts of things stir a lot of emotion within the community. If anyone is seen to perpetrate acts of cruelty towards an animal they will be dealt with using the full force of the law."