The name Chummy conjures up images in one’s mind of a dog that is a much loved four-legged member of the family.
However, that is the future hope for a dog that was rescued after being bound with wire and left to die in the cane fields near the old sugar mill at Lower Illovo earlier this week.
A Toti mountain bike rider found Chummy while out riding in the cane fields, after taking an unfamiliar turn. He took the dog home, and his family is fostering the dog while it is rehabilitated by a vet under the assistance of non-profit organisation, Project Dog Durban.
“Chummy was clearly left to die in an area that is sparsely populated,” said Project Dog Durban’s Quicha Morgado. “He was intentionally tied up with thick wire so that he didn’t try to return home. There’s barely a blade of hair left in his coat, and he has terrible mange but fortunately it is not contagious.”
It is estimated that he had been left out in the cane fields for about 48 hours, as he was severely undernourished and dehydrated.
Project Dog Durban is having Chummy’s skin treated and will have him neutered and vaccinated, in the hope of finding a permanent, loving home for him in several weeks’ time. “Despite his ordeal and the life of neglect he must have had, he is extremely friendly and so happy to be safe.” Quicha is keen to track down the dog’s original owners. “If anyone has any information about who did this, please call me so that we can take action against them.”
Chummy is about three to four-years-old. If you’d like to adopt him, or have information about who may have treated him so inhumanely, call Quicha on 083-272-7201.
PHOTOS from Project Dog Facebook Page (not for sensitive viewers)
