A stray dog whose mouth was tied with duct tape was rescued by an HCM City animal rescue group earlier today.

A rescue group was formed to help the dog. — Photo vietbao.vn 

The animal was spotted by a photographer on Tuesday at the Viet-Sing Urban Area in the southern Ben Tre District. It ran away when Dien Nguyen, the photographer, approached it.

Dien later posted photos he had taken of the dog on Facebook, and urged the online community to help him find the dog.

"His mouth was tied with duct tape. The skin around his mouth had started to rot. He was going through scraps to find some food, but he couldn't eat. He must be hungry. Please help him," Dien said in his Facebook post.

"It must have escaped from a slaughterhouse or a gang of dog thieves. They often bind the mouths of animals with duct tape so that they can't howl," a local person said.

The animal as seen on Tuesday with his mouth tied with duct tape. — Photo Dien Nguyen Facebook.

The dog was eventually found by local people. Dien and a veterinary doctor came to help the dog, but the skin around his mouth was in such a bad state that they were forced to call another vet from HCM City for help.

"We gave him some sugar solution to drink, while waiting for the vet. That's how he has managed to survive till now. He hung on to life just by sucking water through his nostrils," Dien said.

The vet did not wait for daybreak, but drove through the night to the dog's rescue. The duct tape was removed, not without causing a lot of pain for the animal, but he was finally saved.

"It would not have lasted another day out there. He was very weak when we found him," Dien said.

The dog was brought back to HCM City to receive medical treatment. It was in stable condition and has begun to recover. Things have been arranged so that it will be adopted and cared for by an animal group in the city.

VNS