UPDATE: Update on this story - Reward has now climbed to $35,000, http://www.kxxv.com/story/19005672/north-texas-deputies-seek-suspect-in-dogs-torture

IF YOU HAVE INFO ABOUT THE PERP - call Fowler’s office on at 817-596-8845, or the Parker
County Crime Stoppers hotline at 817-599-5555.

Cruelty and torture to non-livestock animals is a state jail felony carrying a maximum penalty
of up to two years in jail.


By Laura Cox
22:32 GMT, 11 July 2012
UPDATED:
22:39 GMT, 11 July 2012



These photos show the painful
recovery of a tortured dog, found abandoned in a field on Monday with
her mouth taped tightly shut, her swollen tongue hanging out.Hope,
a three to four year old pit bull, suffered horrific abuse before being
dumped in Weatherford, Texas, where extreme temperatures have soared
above 90 degrees.

She was hours from death when she was spotted by a passer by and Animal Control
officers spent hours trying to track her down, working on horseback and
helped by around 10 neighbours.Scroll down for video


Struggle: As Hope battles for survival vets have
said they are happy with her progress, but she may still need to have
part of her tongue removed


Abused: Hope needed 100 stitches to close the wounds on her battered body


Vets said the pup's tongue had
been exposed for at least 24 hours and was so swollen that a large
section of it may need to be removed.She was dehydrated and
disorientated, clearly terrified from her ordeal.


Unable to eat, drink or pant, Hope's
body temperature had risen to 105.7 degrees which is five degrees above
what is normal for an adult female dog.Shocked
deputies with the Parker County Sheriff's Office said they have made
the case a top priority and are offering a $10,000 (sic $35,000) reward for
information leading to the arrest of whoever brutalised the dog in so
inhumane a way.Deep wounds covered her battered body, some deep enough to cause muscle damage, and requiring 100 stitches to close.

In the days following her rescue Hope battled for survival, named by
rescuers for her high spirits and determination to pull through.


Disgusting: Hope, a three to four year old pit
bull, suffered horrific abuse before being dumped in Weatherford, Texas,
where extreme temperatures have soared above 90 degrees


Horrific: Deep wounds covered her battered body, some deep enough to cause muscle damage, and requiring 100 stitches to close


Now, despite vets' fears, she has beaten the odds and is drinking by herself.

'Hope is doing excellent. She just doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.'
Rhonda Sears, a veterinary technician at Bowie Drive Animal Hospital
told Dallasnews.com.
'The swelling is going down in her muzzle and there is no doubt in my mind that she’ll survive.'

The gagging tape was removed and sent to a crime lab to be analysed, in the
hope that it might lead police to find whoever carried out the abuse.Vets
said they will likely have to remove part of Hope's tongue, damaged
from where her teeth sank into it after her muzzle was taped shut around
it.

For now though they are happy with the progress she has made and she will continue to be given antibiotics to combat infection.

Step forward: Much to the relief of the vets treating her Hope has begun to drink on her own


Will to live: Hope was named by vets for her high spirits and determination to pull through


Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler described the dog’s condition as ‘horrendous’.


‘I can’t imagine what would bring a person to such an evil act,’ he told CBS DFW.

‘We
are fortunate to have found her when we did. Our investigators have
seen some pretty terrible things in their careers, but this case is
deeply disturbing and leaves us shocked.‘If they’ll do this, what [else] will they do? This is crazy.

‘I can assure you,’ he said, ‘we’re going to pull out all the stops to try and find out who did this to this little dog.’


Watch the video here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2172255/10-000-reward-offered-case-tortured-dog-grotesquely-swollen-tongue-having-ELECTRICAL-TAPE-wrapped-snout.html