Justice, a pitbull terrier was sniffing around for food in Lotus River when children threw a lit cracker at him that exploded in his mouth,leaving him with severe injuries.
Spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Belinda Abrahams said a good Samaritan called the SPCA on Friday informing them that a dog in Lotus River needed their help.
According to Abraham, field officer Sonwabo Sitole and Inspector Jeffery Mfini were heart broken by what they saw when they responded to the call.
“He has burns and lacerations to the inside of his mouth and he has been unable to eat until this morning.”
The SPCA team was informed that Justice lived off scraps and his body had scars from old injuries.
The dog’s mouth was so severely injured he had to be fed intravenously and was put on an antibiotics course as well as pain medication.
Belinda Abraham said being found guilty of cruelty to animals carried a prison sentence ranging between three and 15 years and fines that range from R60 000 to R300 000, depending on which court deals with the case. She also expressed shock at the fact that children could be guilty of such cruelty.
She also appealed for donations to assist Justice, adding that after his recovery he would need a good home.
The City of Cape Town has declared there will be no designated fireworks sites this year.
Abraham asked anybody who had any information about the attack or witnessed any cruelty to animals should call the organisation on 021 700 4158 or 083 326 1604.
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