BRADDOCK, Pa. -- Animal control officials said an alert train engineer saved the life of a dog tied to some railroad tracks, and the reward for finding the person who did it is now up to $6,000.

A dog that Humane Society officials are calling "Choo-Choo" was found in North Braddock at Hawkins Avenue and Fourth Street, deliberately tied to the middle of the railroad tracks.

Officials said an engineer passing in a train going the opposite direction spotted the dog and called for help.

Animal control kept the animal for 48 hours and then gave her to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.

Gretchen Fieser of the Humane Society said Choo-Choo is very sweet, but also very scared. The animal was unable to escape from the railroad tracks and Fieser said it was clear Choo-Choo was left there to die.

"There were actually knots, as well as dirt from underneath the tracks, dug up so they could wrap it around the track," Fieser said of the rope holding the animal.

"Obviously somebody who tied this dog to the railroad tracks, obviously not a very kind person. I mean, the dog would have died a horrible, horrible death. She would have been struck by a train," Fieser said.

Fieser said the dog had recently been nursing, but they have no idea where her puppies are. Choo-Choo needs nutrition. Once she's healthy, the Humane Society said she'll be ready for adoption.

"We need to get some weight on her, she needs to get dewormed, deflead. We're watching her mammary glands, which are very full with milk. When a dog normally weans its puppies, they do it slowly over a period of time," Fieser said.

The original reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who tied Choo-Choo to the train tracks was $500. But donations from the community have pushed the amount to $6,000.

So far, they still don't have any suspects in the case, but Humane Society officals said Choo Choo is doing well and her health is improving.

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