ORLANDO, Fla. — A dog was found in central Florida with her mouth taped shut and her legs taped together, a rescue group says.
Petal is blind, likely deaf and terrified of human touch, Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida says.
The nonprofit rescue says Petal was found on July 17 and was "extremely weak, dehydrated, emaciated, and...suffered neglect for some time." And, her mouth had been taped shut and her legs taped together.
Poodle and Pooch Rescue says a volunteer rushed Petal to a local animal hospital in Orlando for emergency care.
Vets told the nonprofit Petal as also anemic and had cataracts in both of her eyes and both were infected.
At first, Petal couldn't even stand on her own, according to the rescue and had her on a regimented food schedule because of how starved she was.
Slowly, however, Petal began to improve under the vet hospital's care.
A video posted Wednesday on the rescue's Facebook shows Petal outside walking around. The rescue says, "while she's responding well to treatment she's still very much afraid of human touch. Our heart just breaks imagining what she went through."
Poodle and Pooch says the animal hospital tells workers Petal is a fighter.
On Thursday, the rescue said Petal wasn't having a good day, but it is doing everything it can to "keep her comfortable and alive." And, the rescue says it is still "cautiously optimistic about her recovery."
The rescue says they are trying to find whoever dumped Petal "like trash" at an Orlando-area shopping plaza. An anonymous donor is offering a $2,500 reward toward the arrest and prosecution of whoever is responsible for Petal's neglect and abuse. Information can be sent to JusticeforPetal@gmail.com.
Anyone interested in donating for Petal's recovery can do so on the Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida's Facebook or online.
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