An aspin had its tongue completely cut off in a suspected case of animal cruelty in Valenzuela City, prompting the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to seek public assistance in identifying those responsible.

PAWS said the dog, named Kobe, was critically injured between 12:15 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, along Aratiles Street in Barangay Balangkas.

Kobe suffered severe blood loss after his tongue was severed. PAWS said the injury would have been difficult to inflict accidentally, raising concerns that the act may have been deliberate.

The dog’s owner, identified as “Rodlee,” sought PAWS’ help in pursuing the case and determining what happened to her pet.

“Humihingi po kami ng tulong na maituro kung sino man ang gumawa nito sa aso namin. Nakita po namin ang putol na dila sa Aratiles St. kung saan nasundan namin ang dugo mula sa aming bahay patungo sa pinangyarihan kung saan napulot namin mismo doon ang putol na dila ng aming aso (We are asking for help in identifying whoever did this to our dog. We found his severed tongue on Aratiles Street after following a trail of blood from our house to the place where we personally recovered our dog’s tongue),” Rodlee said in a Facebook post.

“Handa po kaming magsampa ng kaso sa walang hiyang taong tumarantado sa aso namin (We are ready to file charges against the shameless person who abused our dog),” she added.

The owner also said that Kobe lost a significant amount of blood and later tested positive for parasites and infections.

She added that there is no chance of restoring the dog’s tongue because it was cut too deeply, damaging multiple blood vessels.

The owner also appealed for financial assistance to help cover Kobe’s growing veterinary expenses.

“Humihingi po kami ng tulong pinansyal para sa lumalaki at patuloy pang nadaragdag na medical bills ni Kobe. Lahat po ng maibibigay ninyo—kahit maliit—ay napakalaking tulong na para mapagpatuloy ang gamutan niya (We are asking for financial help for Kobe’s increasing medical bills. Any amount—no matter how small—will be a big help in continuing his treatment),” she said.

Meanwhile, PAWS urged residents who may have witnessed or heard anything related to the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.

Information may be reported to PAWS through its legal coordinator for cruelty cases at 0905-401-2235.