Disturbing footage of a thug setting fire to a defenceless puppy and then watching it burn has provoked fury in animal lovers.

The sick stunt emerged after it was posted on the torturer’s social media accounts under the name of Abu Gabi Rabah.

The hard-to-watch clip shows the terrified pup – which had been drenched in petrol – spinning round in circles as the flames burn on its back.

Then it desperately tries to roll in the put out the agonising fire.

It is not known how long the barbaric ordeal – filmed in Al-Jubaniyyah, Beirut – continued after the footage cut out.

Now animal activists BETA are demanding harsh punishment for gruesome crime.

Furious social media users also urged police to take immediate action.

Local Governor of Baalbeck and Hermel, Bashir Khedr, spoke out about the horror clip an in a Twitter post saying: “We received a video from BETA Lebanon about a criminal setting a puppy on fire.”

He added: “We contacted the security services to pursue him, and the Environmental Prosecutor in the Bekaa Valley was contacted.

“These brutal and barbaric practices must be put to an end by amending the Penal Code to match the punishment with the crime.”

The governor stated that the father of the individual responsible for setting the puppy on fire was summoned to the police station to give a statement.

Additionally, police confirmed that the Environmental Public Prosecutor had issued a subpoena for the thug who torched the pup, whose name and age were not revealed.