Police in South Carolina have arrested a man they believe taped a dog's muzzle shut for days, resulting in serious damage to its mouth and face.
William Leonard Dodson, 41, was arrested by police for allegedly tying electrical tape around a dog's mouth. The dog, a 15-month-old Chocolate Staffie mix named Caitlyn, is being treated for injuries.
Dodson is being charged with ill treatment of animals and torture.
Joe Elmore, CEO of Charleston Animal Society which is taking care of Caitlyn, wrote about the abuse on the group's Facebook page. Elmore said the group would "pull out all the stops" in their efforts to save Caitlyn's life.
According to the group, the dog is on the mend and now eating on her own. However, Caitlyn still faces surgery on her lips and tongue as a result of the loss of blood flow caused by the heinous act.
Caitlyn continues to recover from her ordeal, but she is still hospitalized. She has graduated from intravenous fluids and antibiotics to normal food and oral medications. She continues to receive hyperbaric treatments to improve the health of the damaged tissue in her mouth and cold laser therapy to promote healing. She underwent a small surgical procedure on her lip yesterday, but there is not currently a procedure planned for her tongue. We are still waiting to see how well her body will heal on its own.
We have the greatest of hopes for this beautiful girl! Many thanks to the dedicated stff at Veterinary Specialty Care - SC Mount Pleasant, including Dr. Kelli Klein and Dr. Henri Bianucci.
Warning: the images below of the dog Caitlyn are graphic.