George the cat is currently under Second Chance Rescue NYC's Care and is expected to make a full recovery

N.Y.C. Cat Recovering After Mouth 'Blown Apart' by Firecracker Put In Feline's Mouth By Teens

Katy P., the cat recovering in Ohio after a firecracker was placed in her rectum and lit, is unfortunately not the only innocent cat terrorized by abusers with pyrotechnics around the Fourth of July.

On July 4, Second Chance Rescue NYC received a panicked call with a local rescuer they work with in the Bronx. The rescuer informed them that her neighbors in the Fordham section of the Bronx witnessed a group of teenagers forced a firecracker into a friendly street cat’s mouth and lit it. The neighbors who witnessed this horrifying act tried to stop it, but were unable to catch the teens involved or the terrified cat, who quickly ran from the scene after being hurt.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

The rescue immediately sent staff members to the area to find the injured feline. According to the rescue’s founder and president, Jennifer Brooks, it took until July 6 to locate the ailing cat, who was eventually found with part of his mouth “blown apart.”

“He walked towards us mouth ripped open, tongue hanging out, blood smeared on his face as if he was saying, ‘You came, I was waiting for you, please help me.’ ” the rescue wrote on Facebook about George’s case.

WARNING: Below Video Contains Graphic Content

Rescuers immediately rushed the stray, who they named George, to their veterinary partner. The cat endured several surgeries to remove most of his teeth and file down bone so the wound in his mouth could be closed.

Even though he only has a few teeth left and was shown such cruelty, George is recovering “remarkably well” says Brooks, who has been overseeing the grey feline’s ER care.

The “true survivor” is currently alert, stable and eating again.

“We are pretty hopeful that he is going to make a fully recovery,” the rescue founder tells PEOPLE.

Once George is healed and healthy, Second Chance Rescue NYC will begin searching for the “best home possible” for the cat. One where he will be cherished and loved, and where this painful incident will become a distant memory.