In yet another incident of cruelty towards dogs, five minors burnt alive three puppies after tying them together and video recorded it, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in Patahnwadi area of Musheerabad in the heart of Hyderabad.

The video uploaded by someone on social media went viral on Wednesday, sparking outrage with animal rights activists calling for strong action against those responsible for the horrific act.

Police said since all the boys were juveniles, they were sent for counselling.

The video shows the boys playing with the stray dog puppies for some time before they threw the hapless creatures into a fire, which they lit using garbage.

The minors were seen holding the pups by their tails and throwing them in the fire. When the screaming puppies tried to come out, the boys threw them back with sticks.

The disturbing images sparked outrage with animal lovers calling for stringent punishment to those involved.

Shreya, cruelty response manager at Humane Society International, India, said she received a complaint about the incident on Tuesday and lodged a complaint with Musheerabad police station, which registered a case.

She said the boys roasted the puppies alive to draw vicarious pleasure.

The boys are said to have committed the act on July 16. It was not clear as to who uploaded the video.

The latest incident comes weeks after two medical students in Chennai threw a dog from the terrace of a three-storey building. They uploaded the video footage on social media and it went viral. Both the accused were arrested and later released on bail.

Animal rights activists have been demanding amendments in the law dealing with cruelty to animals to provide for stricter punishment to offenders. Pointing out that the maximum punishment for killing an animal is just Rs 50, they said the existing law is toothless. They called for stringent law which can deter acts like those seen in Chennai and Hyderabad.