A dog has been abandoned in a County Durham village after having its mouth taped up.
The cross breed bull dog was found by a member of the public on Sunday, February 2 after he had been tied to a wall on a path near Grant’s Gym in Maude Terrace in St Helen Auckland. His muzzle was wrapped with electrical tape, leaving him unable to bark or make a noise.
The person who found him took him to a local veterinary practice, who contacted the RSPCA due to concerns for the dog’s welfare. The dog is described as having a friendly nature and is now in the care of the local authority’s dog warden service, and he will later be rehomed.
He is said to be around one-year-old and has distinctive bright blue eyes, and a white, tan and brown coat. He was not microchipped or wearing a collar, and the RSPCA is appealing to anyone who recognises him to get in touch.
Krissy Raine, the RSPCA animal rescue officer who is looking into the incident, said: “We think this poor dog had his muzzle deliberately taped up to prevent him from barking and possibly alerting people to what was happening. His mouth is swollen and sore on the outside and ulcerated on the inside where the tape was wrapped around so tightly.
“He’s received treatment and we’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in his rescue and care. He’s a very friendly young dog who was once a part of someone’s life.
“It’s incredibly sad when animals are left feeling scared and bewildered in vulnerable situations like this.”
The RSPCA has encouraged anyone who recognises the dog or has information about the incident to contact the charity’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018 quoting reference number 01441323. The charity also reminded anyone who is struggling with the costs of caring for a pet to seek support through its dedicated cost of living hub.
Join our County Durham WhatsApp community
Join our County Durham WhatsApp community for all the latest news County Durham news sent direct to your phone.
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press ‘join community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/abandoned-dog-electrical-tape-muzzle-30942107
