Badly Injured Dog Rescued While Being Buried Alive on Hawaii Beach by Machete-Wielding Man

Her rescuers came along at just the right time.

A severely abused dog who had been cut with a machete and buried alive in the sand on a West Oahu, Hawaii, beach is recovering thanks to an animal rescue group and her new foster family.

“This beautiful girl was found by one of our team members,” PAWS of Hawaii wrote on its Facebook page Tuesday.

“Someone had just buried her and they had a machete so who knows what was next,” the animal rescue group wrote.

The terrified dog was swollen, severely dehydrated, covered in sores and missing 90 per cent of her fur when she was found, the group wrote.

The group rushed the helpless pup to a local vet, Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services, where she was given fluids, medicine and blood tests, they wrote.

Her first bath revealed she was “bleeding from every inch of her body,” PAWS wrote on Facebook.

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“After her bath, she went for a little news interview,” PAWS wrote. “What a star. Now she is back at home enjoying her burgers from Raw Dog Hawaii.”

Named Leialoha, which means “beloved child,” she was taken in by a loving foster family who is caring for the gentle dog while she heals.

“My heart was broken and I knew she needed us to foster her,” wrote her foster mom, identified on Facebook as Amanda, a Good Samaritan who has fostered other dogs for PAWS.

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A little TLC has gone a long way to help Leialoha get better, she said.

“Leialoha has come so far since Tuesday night,” Amanda wrote on Saturday. “Initially, she would only leave her kennel to go to the bathroom. Last night, she came out, while we had friends over to see what was for dinner and has been liking being under the coffee table.”

The dog will continue to receive medical care and checkups for the next 6 months as she heals, local ABC affiliate KITV 4 reports.

“She has a long way to go, but the worst is over,” Amanda wrote.

Her rescuers believe the dog’s cuts were freshly inflicted when she was first found, Ku’ulei Durand, the Executive Director of PAWS of Hawaii told KITV 4.

“The man who buried her, we were led to believe, had started to cut her,” Durand told KITV 4. “He felt he was ending her suffering by trying to end her life, instead of getting her the help she needed.”

No arrests have been made in the case. It was unclear if a suspect has been identified by police.

Durand hopes the anger people felt over the dog’s ordeal will encourage them to help other abused animals.

“There are so many things you can do to help, like contact local rescues or shelters and see what you can do to assist,” she told KITV 4.

The team at PAWS thanked everyone who helped Leialoha.

“Mahalo to Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services for caring for this sweet girl medically,” the group wrote. “Mahalo to all those who prayed for her. Mahalo to all those who donated to her medical fund! Thankfully we raised enough money to cover all of her medical care, all additional funds can go to our next rescued dogs. We are so grateful for you all!”