It is hard to believe anyone is this cruel. A two-month-old puppy is recovering after an animal control officer found him with his ears cut off.
His puppy paw stretches after a nap and you can smell his puppy breath. He's just starting his life, but a turn of his head reveals an already painful past. The tenacious tyke was found without ears. Someone had cut them off.
"When I came upon him, he was just shaking really badly. He was obviously in shock," said Zach Skow, Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue.
Someone had cut his ears with a knife or razor, leaving open wounds. "He's going to miss that flap that would normally cover his ears so he's just going to have these little stubs on the top of his head," explained Dr. Joshua Freng, Tehachapi Veterinary Hospital.
They call him Sonar. He is a Rottweiler-Shepard mix. "He could have died. There's no doubt about it," continued Freng.
For Kern County Animal Control officers, this is something they see all too often. "We see it on a daily basis. People cut off their ears, they think it makes the dog look tough somehow. It doesn't make them look tough. It mutilates the dog," said Sally Breyer, Kern County Animal Control.
"Most people assume I have all kinds of anger for people who did this. But I don't. The task at hand is get this little guy better," explained Skow.
Sonar got a much needed bath. But he's still unsure of people and still learning to be a puppy. Just leave it to a dog ten times his size to make this little guy feel at ease.
Sonar forged an adorable bond at the rescue with a 130 pound Saint Bernard. He's still unsure about what his spot is in the world. He's constantly worried something is going to happen to him," continued Skow.
Sonar will always bear the scars of his tormented past, but with all the attention he's getting, it won't be long before he finds a loving family.
Sonar will weigh around 70 to 80 pounds when he is fully grown. If you are interested in adopting him, go to www.marleysmutts.com or you can meet him Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Tehachapi Pet Lodge.
