Dog Found Tied To Abandoned Building With His Leg 'Essentially Rotted'

A dog was tied to an abandoned home with an injury that left one of his legs "essentially rotted," and now a Richmond, Virginia animal shelter is offering a reward to anyone who can provide information that leads to the conviction of the culprit.

The 7-year-old pit bull mix was found tied to a porch on Oct. 1, a spokesperson for the Richmond Animal Care and Control Center told Fox News on Thursday. They are now caring for the dog.

“We found him with a severely injured back leg that had been untreated for some time; the leg had essentially rotted while still attached by the bone,” the shelter stated on Wednesday, adding that they were forced to amputate his leg.

"We don't know what happened. It was an injury of some kind that had never been treated," Richmond Animal Care and Control director Christie Chipps Peters told WTVR in Richmond.

Now, the shelter wants to find out who is responsible.

“Our Officers are working hard to find the person responsible for causing this dog so much pain,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. Donors have offered a reward of $1,000 to anyone that can provide information that will lead to a conviction, the shelter said.

The Richmond Animal Care and Control Center named the pit mix Rusty and call him “the sweetest dog ever.”

rusty dog

"Some of the dogs who have seen, or some of the animals, doesn't even have to be dogs, that have seen the worst, it's like they know. It's like they appreciate life so much more because they've seen so many bad things," Peters told WTVR.

A spokesperson for the facility told Oxygen.com that post-surgery, the dog is doing well.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to email, call, or message the shelter on social media. You can remain anonymous. Richmond Animal Care and Control can be reached at 804-646-5584.

[Photo: Richmond Animal Care and Control]