Call for someone to adopt 'wonder dog' after cruel act of violence

The call-out for someone to adopt a pit bull mixed dog named Heart has gone viral after a shelter discovered his tongue has been cut out deliberately.

A lovable dog, named Heart, was found in a street in Philadelphia, USA, in April, where he was bleeding from his mouth and neck as well as appearing disorientated.

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Heart was then taken to a local animal shelter, where the veterinary team discovered most of his tongue had had tragically been cut out — not surgically, and not accidentally.

"It was heartbreaking," Sarah Barnett, director of development and communications at ACCT Philly, said in a Facebook post. "Unfortunately no treatment exists - it's simply that he had to heal and adjust to eating very differently."

"Sometimes you might have a dog who ate an electrical cord or something like that, but our vets ruled it out," Barnett explained to TODAY. "And it was very, very recent. It was still raw."

Heart spent about a week in the shelter before, where he struggled to properly swallow food and required extra care. However, Barnett proudly says that he is now "fully recovered" and "eating on his own with no help."

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"His real 'special need' is that he is a messy drinker and needs his face wiped after eating or drinking," she admitted, although added that it's not a bad trade considering, "Heart loves every person he meets, is housetrained, loves toys, rides well in the car and can be trusted loose in [an] apartment."

"He loves belly rubs and playing fetch," she continued, adding they hope they can soon find the pooch's "forever home."

"He's a very special dog," she said. "It's a mystery to me why he hasn't been adopted yet."

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