This is the shocking moment a Lebanese mother who says her daughter was attacked by a stray dog walks over to the animal she believes to be to blame for the incident, and blasts it to death at point-blank range with a shotgun.

The incident in which the dog was not aggressive and was simply lying in the sun when killed was filmed in the district of Western Beqaa in the Lebanese governorate of Beqaa. The footage has been widely shared on social media, prompting outrage from animal rights groups and even agriculture minister Abbas Al-Hajj Hassan.

The minister, who noted that the dog seemed harmless, called on the local authorities to launch an investigation, adding that he has been in contact with the attorney general in the region about the matter.

He said on Twitter: “Every citizen will bear the consequences of their actions. We call on all concerned authorities to be stern with such unacceptable inhuman and uncivilized actions.”

Lawyer Antoine Kanaan said prison terms and harsh punishments only apply to people who harm protected species and not domestic pets, but said the woman could still face a fine.

Kanaan added: “This highlights the shortcomings of that law, as many would find such a punishment to be insufficient and not enough of a deterrent.

“In this particular case the dog seems to be a normal domesticated dog, from what I could establish through the social media posts, and not a wild species.”

The shooter, who has since deactivated her Facebook account, said that she killed the dog as “an act of self-defence” because it attacked her daughter and hospitalised her about a month ago.

It was not revealed how old the daughter was, or what the injuries were that she suffered which had allegedly needed medical treatment.

Animal activist Ghina Nehfawi told local media that the woman should be punished for her “brutal and inhuman act”.

Meanwhile, the NGO Animals Lebanon said on social media: “Action is being taken legally against this shooting. Judge Iyad Badran has been contacted.”