A dog is recovering after she suffered extensive burns in a horrific incident.
The animal was reportedly fed a lit firework by a child this week.
According to officials in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, where the incident took place, a group of children were playing with the explosives when one child beckoned the dog over.
The child lit the fuse of a firework and allowed her to take it into her mouth, reports Metro.
It exploded seconds later.
The dog suffered burns and fractured bones in her mouth and her teeth were also severely damaged.
She was found and rushed to a local vet, who quickly attended to the injuries.
Local woman Celeste Florentin Aponte is now caring for the animal.
Taking to Facebook, she wrote;
“The first victim of Christmas. Patient hospitalised thanks to the foundation Maris Llorens.
“The vet Dalia Benitez attended her and the dog now is being taken care of by me.
“God helps her because she is very injured and with multiple fractures in the mouth. When are they going to understand that firecrackers hurt a lot and cause lot of pain?”
The incident came after local firefighters had issued a warning about the dangers of fireworks.