A viral TikTok video with 8.4 million views shows the heartbreaking rescue of a black pit bull found with severe wounds on his back—so severe that his skin was peeling away.
The dog’s new owner was on his way to trucking school in June when he came across the injured canine.
“No one was able to take him so I decided I would because I couldn’t just leave him there,” he told Newsweek. “So on my lunch I took him home, gave him something to eat and gave him a bath.
“Since then I’ve been feeding him, cleaning his wound and giving him TLC and he’s pretty much made a full recovery.”
The viral video shared to @dunetherescuepup shows the initial state of the dog called Dune’s back and a more recent clip of the healing wounds. Although the skin has improved, the fur has yet to return.
“He’s still timid at times when going outside but he loves his new home and I love him too,” the owner added.
Animal cruelty includes intentional acts such as animal fighting, bestiality, and physical abuse (beating, burning, poisoning, or torturing), with some abusers harming pets to control humans.
An estimated 10 million animals die from abuse or cruelty every year in the United States, according to the Shelter Animals Count.
While most states have felony-level cruelty laws, many exempt activities like research, euthanasia, farming, hunting, pest control, and rodeos.
The National District Attorneys Association states animal neglect involves failing to meet basic needs, including abandonment, lack of food or shelter, medical neglect, hoarding, and puppy mills.
Although all states prohibit neglect, cases can be hard to detect and prosecute, especially large-scale ones. Investigating cruelty and neglect is complex due to the need for circumstantial and forensic evidence, financial burdens of seizing animals, and strong community reactions, requiring specialized resources and training for prosecutors.
So far, the internet is horrified by the viral video of Dune that has 1 million likes and more than 13,000 comments.
“I can’t even look at the poor baby, I can feel his pain,” said one user
“What evil did this to him. God poor little one,” said another comment with 43,000 likes, at the time of writing.
“He must’ve been in so much pain yet his tail was still wagging, poor boy,” said a third user.
Indeed, dogs can remember past trauma, but with time, patience, and compassion, they often learn to trust and love again.
The post Dog Found With Horrific Injuries To Back, Camera Captures Life Now appeared first on Newsweek.
