A fundraiser for a dog that was set on fire has raised almost $10,000. Will, a tan-and-cream Labradoodle was discovered "engulfed in flames" on a street in Decatur, Georgia, earlier this month.
Dog Days Rescue, who organized the fundraiser, gave an update on Will's condition via their Facebook page on Tuesday.
The animal rescue charity based in Atlanta wrote: "Will is feeling a little better today after his partial debridement yesterday. As seems to be his normal, he was tail wags and kisses again!"
A debridement is the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue that improves healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.
As Newsweek previously reported, police in DeKalb County, Georgia, are appealing to the public for information that could lead to the arrest of the person who set the dog on fire on the morning of December 5.
Several bystanders spotted the burning dog and rushed to its aid before calling the authorities. On December 8 the police described how Will, given this name by rescuers for his courage, had survived but added that his condition was critical.
Commenting on the incident on their Facebook page on the December 7, Dog Days Rescue called it a "horrendous act of evil" adding that the initial pictures of Will, who had not been named at that stage, could not be shown because of the active investigation.
The Labradoodle has a foster home ready for when he leaves the animal hospital, where he is expected to be for at least another month.
On the FundRazr page for Will, Dog Days Rescue explained that they had received more than 200 requests to adopt Will, but that the dog had a long recovery period ahead before this would happen.
"We are not accepting adoption applications at this point. We are nowhere near that step of Will's future yet. Please watch the Facebook page for updates on this," they wrote, also appealing for help in catching the person responsible for the dog's plight. "If you have any information on who may be responsible for this tragic situation please contact us, Dekalb county animal enforcement or Dekalb county police department."
The money donated to the fundraiser will be used to cover Will's treatment, but the charity said that it is currently not clear how much treatment the dog will need.
"There's no way to know what his costs will be long term but we do feel that he should be covered. Any donations above his needs will be used for other expenses for the rescue," the charity explained. "We take a lot of medical case dogs so please know that you'll be helping them if Will's expenses don't use all donations."
The charity concluded the Facebook post by reassuring concerned readers that Will is in good hands. "He continues to receive as much love and attention as he can handle. Right now, we're just praying that he doesn't have any complications and continues to move forward," they said.
Crime Stoppers USA is offering a reward for anyone providing information on Will's attacker that leads to an arrest. On its Twitter account DeKalb County Police Department asked anyone with information to call 404-286-7990 or @stopcrimeatlat at 404-577-TIPS.
