Deputies asking for help after dog found in plastic bag, mouth taped shut

"Please help us catch the person or people who committed this horrible act of animal cruelty."

That's the plea to the public the Orange County Sheriff's Office is making after a senior poodle name Petal was found near death behind an Orlando retail business last Saturday.

"When a Good Samaritan found Petal, she was in a plastic bag, her mouth duct-taped shut and all of her paws taped together. She was left on the hot pavement in the blazing sun. She was emaciated, dehydrated and weak. No one knew if she would make it."

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The sheriff's office has opened an animal cruelty investigation to find the person who did this to little Petal.

Poodle and Pooch Rescue

Orange County Animal Services and Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida came to the little senior dog's rescue.  

"She wouldn't have survived long in this condition," the rescue said.

Petal is now being treated by a local veterinarian and receiving around-the-clock care. 

In an update on Facebook, the rescue says that Petal had a bad day this week and was not able to hold her head up or move around at all, but saw a slight improvement on Friday.

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"She will hold her head up for short periods of time, but she’s not moving around. We are staying cautiously optimistic as she is not out of the woods yet."

Poodle and Pooch Rescue told FOX 35 News on Saturday night that Petal is still weak and not moving much, "but this morning she was alert and ate for the first time in two days, so that is a good sign."

In the meantime, if you have any information on who may have done this, please call Central Florida Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

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