‘Scared’ dog was tied to train tracks for hours — until rescue came, Ohio warden says

A dog was strapped to railroad tracks for hours before a business owner rescued her, Ohio officials said.

Three unknown individuals tied the dog, which appeared to be a pitbull, to train tracks in Youngstown around 8:30 a.m. on July 10, the Mahoning County Dog Warden said in a news release posted to Facebook.

“She repeatedly looks up at the one individual while wagging her tail wanting to trust them,” officials said, citing a video that shows the animal being tethered to the tracks.

“It’s hard to tell, but she looks scared to me,” officials said.

About three hours later, a nearby business owner spotted the animal and untied her.

The individuals who tied the dog down have not been identified, officials said.

When contacted by McClatchy News, a representative for the Mahoning County Dog Warden said, “We do not know why she was tied there…She is very thin and seems OK otherwise.”

Youngstown is located about 75 miles southeast of Cleveland.

An estimated 10 million animals die from abuse every year in the U.S., according to veterinarians.org. About 6 million pets are left at shelters every year, according to PETA.

This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 3:51 PM with the headline "‘Scared’ dog was tied to train tracks for hours — until rescue came, Ohio warden says."