This story is all too familiar for the Arizona Small Dog Rescue in Phoenix near 7th Ave and Dunlap- a dog in distress and need of help. In this case, a chihuahua was found running through a neighborhood near 91st Ave. and Osborn a few days ago, with a muzzle shut tightly to his face.

With the Arizona Small Dog Rescue, Dani Joslin says it was heartbreaking to hear that someone could muzzle shut a puppy's mouth. "He couldn't even defend himself while he was just on the streets by himself."

It took an hour for a good Samaritan to chase him down, and with her husband's help, they were able to remove the wire with a pair of pliers. They took him to the Arizona Small Dog Rescue, where they determined that he was 11 months old. The shelter has named him Justice.

Dogfighting and the Use of Muzzles

"There is honestly no way he could have accidentally wedged himself into that wire. And it probably, honestly, took two people to put that on him," explains Dani. "I think that he was used as a 'bait dog' in a fighting ring and that he just happened to get away, lucky for him," she adds.

Dani says they've seen cases like this before, with similar wires used to keep a dogs muzzle closed for dog fights.

According to the Facebook page, "We are Lovers Not Fighters," bait dogs are often chihuahuas. The page describes the practice of dogfighting and using bait dogs as "one of the cruelest acts performed by man."

According to the Facebook page, "We are Lovers Not Fighters," bait dogs are often chihuahuas. The page describes the practice of dogfighting and using bait dogs as "one of the cruelest acts performed by man."

Arizona Small Dog Rescue filed a police report. Today, they have no leads and are asking the public to call in anonymous tips.

Justice will be neutered, vet-checked, vaccinated, and micro-chipped in the coming days and should be ready for a loving home by next week. "He's a healthy, happy boy; luckily it didn't leave any mark or anything like that."

Source: AZ Family