New hope for abused pup
Not only was he badly emaciated (weighing little more than 18kgs) and covered in ticks, but Sizwe also bore a raw wound around his neck.
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HE bounces across the floor, greeting every person he meets with a friendly wagging tail and bright eyes. To those who do not know his story, Sizwe seems like an ordinary three-month-old puppy, but a closer look reveals horrifying scars around his neck, casting a glimpse into a world of confinement and cruelty.
The ‘underdog’, currently in the foster care of Durban North resident, Lisa King, was found wandering the streets of Newlands East.
Local resident, Suman Parsoo, spotted and rescued Sizwe on Marbleray Road on Wednesday, 28 October while he was on his way to work.
After seeing the condition of the dog, he rushed him to the Northway Veterinary Clinic in uMhlanga.
Not only was he badly emaciated (weighing little more than 18kgs) and covered in ticks, but Sizwe also bore a raw wound around his neck. His eyes were also infected.Staff at the clinic wasted no time and immediately began to clean and stitch the wound and tended to his eye infection.
“We suspect it was a wire that had cut into his skin. It must have been there for a long time to have cut so deeply,” said Dr Rourke Crosson.
How he was freed from his bondage and where he came from remains a mystery, he said. Sizwe has since also been dipped, de-wormed and vaccinated.
Parsoo offered to pay for the pooch’s medical bills, but the clinic has decided to give the altruistic resident a 50 per cent discount.
“We often try and assist strays that are brought into out clinic. Sizwe is such a little fighter with a friendly and playful personality. We want to see him get better and go to a good home,” explained Crosson.
The clinic, which has rescued other strays in the past, contacted King and other animal activists in the area, hoping that one of them would be able to help find a permanent home for the pup. She agreed to foster him until he was adopted. “He loves people and other pets. It is remarkable to note how trusting he is, despite where he came from,” said King.
Contact Lisa on lking@mrphome.com.
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