KUALA LUMPUR: If your faith in humanity is hanging by a thread, read no further.

A male dog was savagely gang-raped by four drug-intoxicated men in Mumbai, India on Nov 17, the Deccan Herald reported.

The barbarity occurred early Saturday morning in a deserted area near a church (of all places) in the sprawling city’s West Malwani district.

An auto-rickshaw driver winding his way home noticed the piteous wails of a canine in his vicinity, and after turning a few corners, stumbled upon the four culprits, who immediately fled and melted into the darkness.

What was left behind was the whimpering pooch – whose front legs were tied and mouth gagged – lying on the ground in a puddle of its own blood, India Times reported.

Despite the hound being terribly injured and in obvious pain, the man did not whisk it away for medical treatment. The reason for this is unclear – but he remained in the area out of concern for the dog.

It was only at noon that canine lover Sudha Fernandes – who regularly feeds the area’s stray, but friendly pooches – noticed the motionless dog. Upon closer inspection, she perceived with horror the animal’s mutilated genitals – at which time the auto-rickshaw driver appeared and explained what he had witnessed.

Fernandes rushed the hound to the non-profit animal welfare organisation Animals Matter To Me, where its founder, Dr Ankita Pathak, battled to save the pooch.

According to the veteran veterinarian, the canine “…was in severe trauma… it was mutilated… and was suffering an infection after bleeding for an entire day.”

Named ‘Courage’ by staff members, the dog’s treatment and progress were documented and shared in posts on Animals Matter To Me’s Facebook page, which quickly went viral.

Despite the organisation’s best efforts, Courage died on Nov 21, four agonising days after the attack. An outpouring of grief swept Indian social media platforms.

In a post announcing the death, Animals Matter To Me said: “Another speechless soul harmed by a dangerous animal called Human. Hope culprits are nabbed soon. RIP, Courage. Run free…”

https://www.nst.com.my/world/2018/11/434192/dog-dies-after-being-tied-gang-raped-intoxicated-mumbai-men