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WEST VALLEY CITY — Animal control officers in West Valley City and Taylorsville are trying to find the person that badly abused a 3-year-old dog, and also the dog's owner.
"I don't think I've seen anything quite like this before," said Chris Curtis, the director of the West Valley City/Taylorsville Animal Shelter.
Melanie Lawrence found the 3-year-old, 20-pound mixed breed with hair bands wrapped around her muzzle with her tongue hanging out.
"We were horrified when we saw her," said Lawrence, who discovered the dog around noon yesterday behind her back fence in the neighborhood of 4900 S. 1000 West in Taylorsville.
"We thought she was holding something in her mouth," said Lawrence. "But I got closer and realized it was her tongue, and that she had an elastic band wrapped around her snout and that she couldn't open her mouth."
Somebody had put two hair bands around the dog's muzzle, forcing its mouth shut over its tongue. Lawrence coaxed the dog into her back yard, gave her some water and called animal control.
"She was very affectionate," said Lawrence. "She just wanted to be with people."
She was very affectionate. She just wanted to be with people.
–Melanie Lawrence
The dog's tongue was bleeding badly, and the bands had severely cut into her skin. When animal control officers brought the dog to the shelter, workers sprang into action to save the dog. She's doing much better today, and under the care of a veterinarian.
"Immediately she was able to breathe a little bit better," said Curtis.
The dog was dehydrated, but they expect a full recovery.
"Hopefully, when we get her back, we will find her a good home," the shelter director said.
Meantime, they're looking for leads.
"Why somebody would think that's any way to treat an animal, I have no idea," said Curtis.
