LITHIA, FL — Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward for tips leading to the person who severely injured a dog by winding zip ties and electrical wire around the dogs neck.

On Feb. 24, a brown and white 2-year-old 48-pound mixed-breed dog was found abandoned in a wooded area near Old Hopewell Road and Henry George Road in Lithia.

The dog, named Harper by her rescuers at the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, had a large laceration under her neck from the zip ties and electrical wire that were imbedded in the skin. The resource center said the wire and zip ties are so deep, she will have to undergo surgery to remove them.

In addition to her injuries, the dog is being treated for heartworms and veterinarians believe she recently gave birth to a litter of puppies.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person who brutalized the dog. Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using the free Florida Crime Stoppers Mobile application.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.