"Bonehead" Is Too Good a Name for Whoever Chemically Burned the Number 300 on This Dog's Skin

We're not sure why it happened -- malice? sheer idiocy? bad humor? -- but what a cruel thing to do.

This poor dog was found on the streets by a concerned citizen and brought into the Emergency Veterinary Hospital in North Charleston, SC, given fluids and medicine, and released to Charleston Animal Society. As you can see, he had been shaved and the number 300 had been burned, big as life, into his skin. 

"This dog has chemical burns," said veterinarian Dr. Sarah Boyd. "I suspect whatever was applied to the dog was applied after the fur was removed so it was applied directly to the dog's skin, and it has caused severe burns."

The dog also suffered bacterial infections.

"Right now he is in pain ... he is suffering a little bit," Charleston Animal Society spokesperson Kay Hyman told WCSC. 

Fortunately, he's going to be okay -- though the burns will become permanent scars. And the man who rescued him from the streets has stepped up and offered to adopt the dog. His new name? Lucky. 

Now you're probably thinking, who would do such a thing? The best guess is: Boneheaded hunters. Apparently, some hunters use hair dye, food coloring, or spray paint to number their animals, making it easier to identify them during competitive field trials; also, for general identification purposes. But they don't usually place a "caustic agent" directly on the skin, like our Bonehead did. That would be amazingly painful for the dog.

Of course, would you want your dog obsessively licking a spray-painted number plastering his side? Paint isn't exactly non-toxic. There's a lot of Boneheads around this story. 

Fortunately, Lucky can look forward to a good life with his new owner, far from the reaches of Boneheads.

Photos via Charleston Animal Society Facebook page

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