A 3-month-old pit bull puppy is recovering after animal shelter officials said he was lit on fire with a blow torch.
The members of the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge say that Tyler is in good spirits despite what he went through.
"This particular case, I think really disturbed us. It makes you question human nature. What are we capable of?” says executive director Megan Brinster.
Brinster says that the refuge received the call about Tyler Sunday after a good Samaritan in Paterson rescued him and took him to the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus.
"What we've heard so far was that a witness saw him and another dog lit on fire. We're only confirming that from the fact that he has severe burns on his back,” she says.
Brinster says that with the help of the group Jersey Pits, they are funding Tyler’s recovery, which requires around-the-clock care. The shelter is seeking help from the public to help get the funds to continue the puppy’s care.
"Having these donations is the difference between us being able to say ‘Yes’ and saying, ‘I’m so sorry but we don't have the resources,’” Brinster says. “And this is a really extreme case. It's a big medical bill. It's a long-term commitment to Tyler whether it's taking him for hospital treatments, to finding him the right foster, to finding the right placement.”
Brinster says that she hopes that Tyler’s story also helps shed some light on the sweeter side of pit bull – dogs that tend to have a reputation for being aggressive.
"Forget the breed, he's probably the sweetest ever and he suffered this great, great abuse,” she says. “Unfortunately, there's so many dogs like him that suffer similarly and he can be there voice."
It is unclear what happened to the second dog in this attack. Brinster says that the shelter has been unable to locate it.