animal rights

"We've been told that she tied the dog to a rope at the beach and took off," said New Bedford Animal Control Director Manny Maciel.

A 5-year-old shepherd mix was left along the bay in New Bedford, Mass. Sunday, with a choker chain wrapped around not just his neck but also his leg. Officials say it embedded into not just his fur, but also his skin.

"It was embedded in there. And it was pretty, pretty tight and painful," Maciel said.

The dog somehow broke free and wandered around New Bedford's south end for a few days, with a chain clearly too small when he found a willing and thoughtful family to care for him.

"He was limping and he just looked scared, trying to hide out somewhere," said animal lover Susan Amoril who fed him, gave him water, and he slept under the tree in her neighbor's yard.

Amoril's 4-year-old daughter fed him hot dog,  but the dog was skittish.

Maciel was able to lure him into a trap, and a vet got the chain out of his back and stitched him up. They say under the circumstances, the dog's doing okay.

Now, the search is on for a woman with blonde hair who was seen dropping him off in a green Honda Civic on Sunday. She could face felony charges of abandonment and failing to provide vet care for the dog.

"If you have to give up your animal and can't afford to take care of it, times are tough, contact your local animal control or your shelter. Don't just abandon an animal on the side of a road. After five years, how can you just toss your animal to the side," Maciel added.

If you recognize the dog or know its owner, call animal control in New Bedford at 508-991-6366, and this dog will be up for adoption at Forever PAWS shelter in Fall River.