Terrified Puppies With Hair Ties Wrapped Tight Around Their Muzzle Have Been Rescued

When a maintenance worker arrived to fix a burst pipe within Wichita, Kansas housing complex, he was shocked to smell a strong bad odour from one of the apartments. When he entered, he found the source of the smell – a small animal crate.

The worker rushed to the crate and saw two little puppies, their muzzles sealed shut with tiny rubber bands so they couldn’t make noise, and it caused their noses to be red and swollen. Waste was spilling out of the kennel.

The worker quickly contacted a friend of his who helps foster pups with the Wichita Animal Action League. The executive director of the organization was informed and she rushed with animal control officers to the scene. The two puppies were rushed to the vet.

A veterinarian had to use forceps and clippers to remove the rubber bands that had been secured around their muzzles. He estimated that they had been on for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours. Once the ties were off, the rush of blood re-entering their muzzles made the pups squeal in pain. If the bands hadn’t come off for a few more hours, the cruel binding might have caused loss of smell or major damage in the tissues.

The two pups, determined to be pit bull mixes at 7 months old, were named Westley and Debbie. They went through a good bath and soon entered a loving foster home as they and their noses recovered. It’s terrifying to think of what may have happened if the pipe in that apartment complex hadn’t burst and the pups weren’t found until it was too late.

For now, these puppies are happy to leave the past behind. Adoption applications have already started coming in. If you’d like to take them in, fill out an adoption application form on the website of the Wichita Animal Action League here.

Images & Feature Image Source: Wichita Animal Action League