MPD: Dog tied up by hind leg | Crime

A female terrier mix that just had a litter of puppies will have its left rear leg amputated after police found her unable to put any weight on it.

The dog's owner, Antonio Wilkerson, is charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals and is locked up in the Shelby County Jail on $2,500 bond.

Police say Memphis Animal Services investigators got a tip about the dog.

When they went to check on its welfare, they found the dog nursing a litter of seven puppies.

Investigators say her left rear leg was severely infected, swollen to twice normal size, and unable to support any weight. Police say tissue and nerve damage required the leg be amputated, and that veterinarians believed the damage was consistent with having a rope or rubber band tied around the leg tight enough to have stopped circulation.