Abused Dog Was Duct Taped

A disturbing case of animal cruelty has been reported in South Jersey: A dog is found starving with duct tape wrapped around his nose.

His condition was so pitiful the dog had to be put to sleep at The Society to Protect Animals in Carneys Point, N.J.

"He just sat there, you know, just sat there. It was so forlorn and sad," said shelter worker Diane Harrel. (It was the) most pitiful thing I've ever seen.

Harrel said everyone in the shelter was truly stunned. What shocked them was that someone had wrapped nearly a whole roll of electrical tape around the dog's nose and mouth, so there was no way for him to eat, drink or bark for help.

The emaciated animal was starving to death, and its nose was infected, Harrel said. The muzzle was down to the bone. The skin underneath had rotted. And the dog wasn't going to live much longer.

Lynn Harris found the dog at a farm last Friday and is haunted by the image of the tortured creature ever since.

"I think about it every day and whoever did it should be severely punished for doing such a thing to an animal," Harris said. "I really hope we can catch the person and get some information."

The society is offering a reward. She's calling it Rusty's Reward. By the time the dog came to her, the only thing Harrel said she could do is give him a name and put him to sleep.

To contribute to the reward fund or call the shelter with any information:

The Society to Protect Animals
The Rusty Reward Fund
1059 W. Route 40
Carneys Point, NJ 08069
(856) 299-1155

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