Durban - The discovery of a malnourished dog with its tongue severely mutilated has angered Phoenix animal activists, who are campaigning to find the culprit and have him or her locked up.
Surie Pillay found the stray dog last week and took it to a vet in Umhlanga for treatment. But two days later the vet told her something she had not expected.
The “cute” animal’s tongue had been cut out, and it had to be put down to relieve its suffering.
Neeri Naidoo, of Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment, said when the dog was found it looked hungry and thirsty. It could not drink or eat because of the pain in its mouth.
“There was still blood coming out. This dog was tortured,” she said.
Pillay said she had been visiting a friend when she saw the dog in a street looking weak and hungry.
“I asked around in the neighbourhood for its owner. It had ticks and was very weak. When no one came out to claim ownership I took it to the vet.”
She said she was later contacted with the shocking news that the dog’s tongue had been cut out.
Pillay said she had never seen such cruelty to an animal.
“When the vet’s office phoned to tell me I was so shocked.
“I still cannot believe it. I am very hurt by the whole thing. It is sad to think that people can do things like this,” she said.
On hearing about the cruelty inflicted on the animal, Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment volunteer Diane Bester and other animal activists tried to find out from the Phoenix community who had tortured the animal, but in vain.
“In a residential area somebody needs to know about this and give information.
“How can somebody just cut a dog’s tongue out?” she asked.
The Mercury