Dog with zip-tied muzzle and tied to tree found, rescued from St. Paul

Found tied to a tree with his muzzle zip-tied shut, a dog is recovering after being rescued in St. Paul.

The dog, named Riptide, is about a year old, according to Liz Gigler, the woman who has set up a fundraiser on Facebook to help with Riptide’s recovery. Rescued Pets Are Wonderful, a nonprofit organization, is taking care of the dog in Blaine.

"Where do we begin… Words are not able to explain what this guy went through… He is maybe a year old and he was left in the woods, tied to a tree by his back leg with a zip tie around his muzzle. The rope around his leg was cutting into his leg to the bone. The ziptie around his muzzle was embedded to the bone on top and underneath. The maggots were everywhere," Gigler wrote on the page.

She added, "This guy endured days… weeks like this. He survived and we intend to give him our all to get him back to health."

Riptide had one of his rear legs amputated on Monday and he will still need some revision procedures to his mouth, according to the Facebook page.

As of Wednesday morning, Riptide’s fundraising has climbed to over $17,500. The original goal was set for $5,000. If you would like to donate, click here.