By now, you’ve likely heard about Caitlyn, the dog whose muzzle was taped so tightly that she risked losing her tongue and suffering permanent damage to her nasal passage. She’s absolutely thriving now, and her abuser was sentenced to five years in prison for what he did to her, to be served concurrently with a 15-year sentence for other crimes.
The 15-month-old chocolate pit bull mix was found in June 2015 on the porch of a South Carolina resident who called 911 after seeing what horrible shape she was in.
She was taken to the Charleston Animal Society, who got her immediate medical attention. The blood flow had been completely cut off from her tongue, making the situation quite delicate. When the tape was removed, Caitlyn screamed in excruciating pain.
“It was 36 hours of torment,” CAS spokesman Alwin Roman told the court.
Caitlyn’s former owner, William Dodson said he taped her snout shut because she wouldn’t stop barking. He was charged with felony ill treatment of an animal, and was indicted in February 2016. He will serve 5 years for what he did to Caitlyn, but it will be served concurrently with a 15-year sentence he received for a federal drug and weapon conviction.
Dodson made no apologies for what he did, and Judge R. Markley Dennis Jr. told the abuser that he wished the sentence could be longer.
Meanwhile, Caitlyn is doing wonderfully in her loving new home. She has fans all over the world and is an ambassador for animal welfare.
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