An elderly woman and her dog were set ablaze after being doused with gasoline last Friday allegedly by her son.

According to reports on Sunday, the 78-year-old woman survived the ordeal but suffered second and third degree burns covering half of her body. She is in critical condition.

Police have not disclose the identity of the victim or suspect, the woman's 51 year old son. Mounties arrested and took the son into custody and he appeared before the justice of the peace last Saturday.

He will be charged with attempted murder and cruelty to animals and will appear in a Kamloops Provincial Court on Tuesday. Investigators are still probing further on the case.

The woman was flown from Clearwater, north of Kaloomps, to Vancouver and is confined at the Vancouver General Hospital. Meanwhile, the woman's pet dog was euthanized.

Reports said police were called by the provincial ambulance service, which received a distress call from a man said that his mother was set on fire.