Tyson discharged from the vet, owners want him back

Update Video Warning: Graphic content

GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - Tyson, the pit bull terrier that was found in a field in Oudtshoorn late last month, has been discharged from Eden Small Animal Hospital and is receiving some well-deserved TLC at a breed-experienced foster home in the area.

According to Colleen Smith of Oudtshoorn Dogs in Need (Odin), Tyson was at death's door when their volunteer in Oudtshoorn fetched him.

"I received a call from someone saying that a dog was lying abandoned in a field near a church in Bridgton. The person sent me photos and judging by the injuries, I strongly suspected it was attacked by another dog in a fight.

"I phoned our volunteer who immediately rushed him to the vet. We were appalled at the state the dog was in. He must've been lying there for days. He was basically dead when she arrived," Smith said.

"I didn't even think he had an owner. This was not a dog that was loved and cared for. He was skin and bone and covered in scars, bite marks and infected wounds."

She said maggots eating away at the gouging wound on his hind leg were indicative of the number of days he had been lying there in pain before he was discovered.

"From my experience, looking at the number of scars on young Tyson's legs and body, it can be safely assumed that he was used for dogfighting. But we are waiting for the reports from the vets to decide what further steps to take," Smith said.

Tyson's injuries were so severe that his right hind leg had to be amputated. "His leg was mauled and a 20cm piece of broken bone pierced through his skin," said Smith.

Tyson when he arrived at Eden Small Animal Hospital in George. Apart from his injuries, he was just skin and bones.

But through everything that Tyson has been through, he is still fighting.

A leg amputation, two big operations, three blood transfusions and a bout of tick bite fever later, Tyson is now in foster care with a breed-experienced lady looking forward to giving him more love and care than he could ever have hoped for.

"I saw this [the story on George Herald's website] and it touched me so much," she said. "I took Tyson some food [while he was at the vet] and just hugged him so much. I cried my eyes out. I lost my pit bull girl recently to heart failure. How could any person allow this to happen to another living breathing animal? I prayed for Tyson and begged that he would pull through. I'm so grateful for all involved who fought to save him."

*The foster's name is withheld on her request.

Watch a video below that was posted by Odin shortly after Tyson's amputation.

Owners come forward

In the meantime, George Herald has spoken to Nevelda Stuurman, a woman from Bridgton in Oudtshoorn who claims to be Tyson's owner.

According to her, the picture Odin is portraying is far from the truth. She said they found Tyson in the condition he was in near their house on 24 September, Heritage Day.

"We found him just behind our house in the Lofdal Church's property, which is very close to the fence that separates the two properties," she said.

Stuurman says with it being a public holiday, they could not find any veterinary practice open.

"We contacted Odin for help and they came to fetch Tyson from us after we waited for quite some time."

Smith denied making contact with the alleged owner and confirmed that she received a tip-off after which she asked their volunteer in Oudtshoorn to investigate. "The person who tipped me off about Tyson was not the owner."

Stuurman said the maggots Smith was referring to were fly eggs laid on him while they were waiting for someone to collect him. "We sat with him until they came to fetch him and take him to Cango Animal Clinic," she said.

She was not sure how Tyson sustained the injuries he had when he was found, but suspected that he was either hit by a car or someone attacked him with a panga.

Tyson in the Odin volunteer's car on their way to George after his leg was amputated in Oudtshoorn.

"We love Tyson and my son misses his dog. We might not be wealthy, but we fed Tyson every day and we kept him warm and safe. He is part of the family," she said.

Asked about the old lesions on Tyson's legs and body, Stuurman explained that even though he was in an enclosed yard, Tyson was not sterilised and would sometimes escape and go walkabout when a bitch was on heat. He would then get into fights with other dogs.

Smith is however not convinced. "The bite marks on Tyson are not from a dominance fight with another male dog. It leans more towards incited dog fighting."

Stuurman said that she was in constant communication with the Odin volunteer in Oudtshoorn to get feedback on the wellbeing of her dog, but eventually, after he was moved to George, there was no more communication from them and she suspected they 'blocked' her.

"I am not leaving it there. I want my dog back. I am very unhappy about what was said. It's not true. I was in contact with Odin [the volunteer] since the moment they came to pick him up, but now no one responds anymore," Stuurman said.

A photo of Tyson was supplied by the person who says she is his owner, Nevelda Stuurman. She did not have any other photos of him available at the time.