BOSTON -- A dog died this week on Nantucket when someone put it inside a washing machine and turned it on during a house party, according to the Cape Cod Times.

The incident happened during a party that started on July 22 and went into the next day, according to police.

The death remained under investigation, and officials said that animal cruelty is a felony under state law and punishable by a jail sentence of up to five years and fines of up to $2,500, the newspaper reported.