Dog Buried Alive in Horrific Case Rescuers Say Made Their 'Blood Run Cold'

Rescuers have said they were in a "race against time" to save a dog that had been buried alive in South Africa.

Officers from the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were alerted to reports from a concerned resident in Delft, around 16 miles east of Cape Town, that there was a dog trapped under a concrete slab. The caller said on July 2 that an unidentifiable group of people filled the exit and completely covered the area under a mound of sand.

A July 7 news release from the National Council of SPCAs said that rescuers located the dog, named Courage, and frantically tried to rescue him. "Inspector Lee Prins knew time was of the essence in a frantic race against time, our inspector reached the location and dug through the mound of sand with a sinking heart."

There were 4.1 million homeless companion animals in South Africa in 2020, according to the State of Pet Homelessness Index. Of these, 1.7 million were stray dogs, and around 650,000 cats and dogs were being housed in shelters.

Prins said of the rescue of Courage: "It was taking too long, but I had to keep reminding myself that if I start to panic, I won't be of any use to the dog that needs me now."

He added: "When I finally reached him, he was curled up in a ball and he didn't move, I thought I was too late."

Fortunately, Courage was still alive, though rescuers said that it seemed "he had just resigned himself to his fate."

Jaco Pieterse, chief inspector at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said: "It's such a heartless thing to do. We are very grateful to the compassionate person who allied us; this dog would have suffered terribly had we not been notified.

"We will do everything in our power to identify those responsible for this heinous act of cruelty and ensure they are brought to book," Pieterse added.

When Courage arrived at the hospital, he was assessed by the veterinary team members who were surprised to learn he tested negative for a range of diseases.

Thankfully for Courage, though he was dirty, neglected, and emaciated, he is now being treated with a liquid nutritional supplement and vitamin B to support his immune system.

The news release read: "It's only been a few days since Inspector Lee Prins' heart-thumping rescue and Courage still has a long road to recovery ahead of him. But he's a brave boy, he's giving it his all and stealing hearts along the way."

Newsweek contacted the SPCA for comment via email on Wednesday.