PLANT CITY, Fla. — Editor's note: We want to warn you some of the details and pictures in this story are hard to read and see but the story does have a happy ending.
Investigators are asking for clues into who abused and abandoned a dog on Henry George Road in Plant City.
The two-year-old female dog was found on Feb. 24 abandoned and alone. A concerned citizen called because they suspected the animal had injuries.
According to Chelsea Waldeck with the Hillsborough Pet Resource Center, animal control workers were able to set a trap to catch the skittish pup and brought her immediately to the center.
"We found that she had what appeared to be zip ties embedded into her neck. They had caused several lacerations. At the deepest point, it was about two inches wide," Waldeck said.
Caregivers at Hillsborough's Pet Resource Center immediately got to work trying to save the dog they named Harper.
"We had the wounds cleaned and sutured so they would heal properly," Waldeck explained.
Harper's story only gets better from here. Veterinarians looked at her just last week and her neck is healing nicely, but that's not stopping investigators from getting justice for Harper.
"Investigators need to speak to the person responsible for her injuries," Kelly McLaren, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, said.
The agency is offering up to a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. Anonymous tips are also welcomed.
"Often times people are afraid to come forward with the information that they have. They want to do the right thing. They need an avenue to do that," McLaren said.
As for Harper, she's already been adopted by a forever family but many others are waiting for theirs.
The Pet Resource Center currently has 220 dogs, all with their own special story that Waldeck says they would like to share.
Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the person responsible and want to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or **TIPS. To report anonymously online, click here.