Tampa police rescue a dog shot and tied to railroad tracks

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – 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.