Tortured pit bull found zip tied along Georgia road

JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. - Animal control officials in Jackson County say they are in the early stages of investigating a horrific dog abuse case. The dog at the center of it was so badly injured, he required emergency surgery within hours of being found.

Officials with the Northeast Georgia Humane Society called it one of the worst animal cruelty cases they have ever seen. The details provided by them in this article are extremely disturbing.

The pit bull mix, since renamed Nelson, was found about 10 minutes from the Jackson County Animal Control Shelter with a zip tie around his genitals and in unbearable pain.

"I can’t wrap my mind around it…I can’t even think about how someone could consider doing that to an animal," CEO Allison Mayfield said in an interview Tuesday.

According to Mayfield, a concerned citizen discovered Nelson along Academy Church Road in Jefferson on November 2.

"They found him on the side of the road and very quickly realized he was in a lot of pain," Mayfield said.

Mayfield said because of the pain the zip tie, which was wrapped so tightly around Nelson’s genitals, county officials considered euthanizing the pup. However, they put in a call to the humane society who then offered to take him. She said they rushed Nelson to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine where he underwent surgery.

"If you can imagine a full abdominal surgery, that’s basically what they did, and rerouted his urethra," she explained.

Now two weeks later, Nelson is healing and being cared for by a foster parent through the humane society shelter.

During the humane society’s "Season of Saves" initiative, Mayfield said they want to highlight the critical need for donations to get animals like Nelson the help they need.

"Cruelty to animals does exist and it exists in a very traumatic and real form that is beyond anything some of us could imagine," she said. "What my vision for the humane society is that we never have to say no to an animal like Nelson."

She said they are hoping to find him a permanent home soon.

They also hope to find the person responsible for his injuries. Animal control officials said they don’t have any leads right now on who may have done this. Investigators ask anyone with information to contact them.

Anyone interested in donating to the North Georgia humane society or adopting, can find more information by clicking here.