In this Wednesday, March 4, 2015 photo made available by the Tampa Police Department, Sgt. Rich Mills carries an injured female dog that was left tied to a railroad track in Sulfur Springs, Fla. Tampa police found the dog, who had been shot repeatedly, fastened to the tracks with a belt. The dog is expected to survive after one of her legs was amputated Thursday. (AP Photo/Tampa Police Department) (The Associated Press)
TAMPA, Fla. – A dog that was tied to railroad tracks and shot repeatedly was expected to survive after her leg was amputated Thursday.
Tampa Police received three calls around 5:23 p.m. Wednesday from people reporting hearing gunshots. Once on the scene, they heard a dog whimpering while canvassing the neighborhood, and followed the sound to nearby train tracks.
They found the dog, a mixed-breed female about a year or two old, fastened to the tracks with a belt and with gunshot wounds in its neck and right shoulder.
They were able to free the dog, which officers named "Cabela," and rushed her to a veterinarian. She underwent surgery Thursday to remove her injured right front leg.
"It's very calm and relaxed and just in recovery mode at this point," said Officer Derek Lang, a police spokesman.
None of the individuals who had called police had seen anyone with a gun or were aware of the dog being injured, police said, so they put out a public appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
