Facebook horror at hole bored through dog’s paw

IN A horrible case of abuse, a dog that was brought into the Amanzimtoti SPCA as a stray earlier this week was found to have had a hole bored straight through his paw and a solid metal clamp fitted.

The traumatised animal was taken to the vet where the clamp was removed. He is expected to recover, but SPCA staff and animal lovers have been left shocked and appalled by the act of cruelty.

SPCA manager Tracey Girling posted a photograph of the dog’s foot on the society’s Facebook page, after he was brought in on Monday. By yesterday afternoon it had been shared more than 3 500 times.

Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, Girling said the dog was found in the Chatsworth area.

“The only thing I can think is that they (whoever placed the clamp) did it to keep the dog tied up,” she said, “so that if he tried to run away, it would hurt him and he would retreat.”

She said there was still fresh blood under the skin when the dog was brought in. “The vet said it must have been put there within the last 48 hours.”

Many commented on Facebook that the person responsible for placing the clamp in the dog’s foot was “sick”, “nasty” and “cruel”.

Jackie Allchin asked: ‘What kind of person does this to an innocent animal?”

There were calls for the person responsible to be criminally charged, with Engela Mommsen saying: “The owner of this dog must be jailed immediately.”

The SPCA had no idea who had placed the clamp in the dog’s foot, but Girling said that if someone came forward with information, a case of animal cruelty definitely would be opened.

She said his foot aside, the dog – a Labrador-sized young adult male – was not in a bad condition.

He had been in severe pain and very scared, but otherwise seemed to have a good nature.

He was sterilised at the vet and after he had recovered, he would be vaccinated and put up for adoption.