PSPCA: Choking dog rescued from East Germantown park

Pennsylvania SPCA officials are searching for the owner of a dog that was found choking inside an East Germantown park Tuesday morning.

PSPCA officers discovered the female brown-and-white pit bull tied to a chain link fence that surrounds the tennis courts at the Awbury Recreation Center, a spokeswoman said.

The dog was restrained with electrical tape and a short cable. A tipster indicated the animal had been there since 8 p.m. the night before.

"The dog was tied so shortly to the fence that she couldn't support herself and had been choking," Humane Law Enforcement Director George Bengal said in a statement. "Abandoning a pet is a crime and, in this case, it could have resulted in a slow and painful death."

Animal care workers are treating the dog, which they have named Venus, at the PSPCA Shelter Hospital. Venus is expected to recover from her injuries.

The PSPCA is asking that anyone with information about the incident call the organization's cruelty hotline at 1-866-601-SPCA.