VIDEO: This dog had its mouth taped after it was sold for $10

Dogs are some of the most beloved pets that people can have, but despite the fact that they are often called “man’s best friend”, there are still some people that treat these adorable animals in cruel and horrible ways, without any apparent explanation.

This was the exact case with Caitlyn, a 15-month old Staffordshire terrier mix. The images of Caitlyn in which the poor dog had her face strapped with duct tape shocked animal lovers around the world, not only because of the emotional impact the images had, but also because of their consequences.

Due to the fact that the tape could have been on Caitlyn’s face for as much as two days, it placed so much pressure on her mouth that blood flow towards that body part was cut off, so Caitlyn was in danger of losing her tongue.

The animal was handed in by her former owner, who said “Don’t let me find you. That’s all I can say, don’t let me find you because that’s part of my family you just did some foul things to.” The man had sold Caitlyn on Monday for only $10, as her lively nature was making him and his partner worried they might be thrown out of their home.

Her previous owner said that he knows nothing more about the man that he sold his dog to, so the animal police officers had a very tough mission in finding the culprit for Caitlyn’s torture.

A $6000 reward had been offered to anyone that has information on whoever might have done this to poor Caitlyn, and in the end, it was all successful, at the animal police managed to capture 43-year-old William Leonard Dodson.

After being found guilty of animal cruelty, William Leonard Dodson was given the maximum sentence of five years to spend behind bars. It was later revealed that Dodson had put duct tape around the mouth of Caitlyn in order to stop her barking.

Caitlyn’s case resonated so deeply with everyone involved and her wounds were so severe, that Judge Markley Dennis said to William Leonard Dodson as he gave him his sentence, “I wish I could give you more.” Another crime that Dodson had committed will kind of fulfill the judge’s wish, though. A day before being sentenced for the abuse over Caitlyn, William Leonard Dodson was sentenced to 15 years in prison on a gun charge stemming from a traffic stop.

Despite all the efforts of the doctors, Caitlyn’s tongue had suffered too much oxygen deprivation. Part of the tissue had died, so the vets had to cut off some of her tongue, and the poor animal still has the scars that the duct tape left on her face.

This sad and heartbreaking story is definitely a reminder that animal cruelty still exists and that there are still animals that endure abuse, and the animal police should continue their mission to prevent such extreme cases and punish the ones responsible for them, so that as few animals as possible will suffer.