If it weren’t for the quick thinking of an Animal Rahat volunteer, an act of wanton cruelty would likely have become fatal.

A steel wire is tied tightly around a dog’s mouth

While out feeding community dogs early one morning, the volunteer noticed a frightened brown dog who wasn’t eating. To her horror, she saw why—someone had tightly tied a wire around the dog’s mouth, leaving her unable to open it.

A steel wire is tied tightly around a dog’s mouth.

Within minutes, she called Animal Rahat for help, and one of its scouts arrived on the scene. With the help of a sack and a little patience, he calmed the panicked dog, sedated her, and gently began to remove the wire.

The dog is sedated before the wire is removed from her mouth.

Once she was freed from the wire, Animal Rahat’s team transported her to its Solapur office for a full examination. They were happy to see that she had already been spayed and that thankfully, the wire hadn’t caused further injury to her mouth. After an overnight stay, during which they gave her a rabies vaccination, anti-parasitic medication, and plenty of food and fresh water, they returned her to her village.

While whoever was responsible for that heinous act is still on the loose, her story has attracted local media attention and prompted calls for the police to find and prosecute her abuser.