MENANDS — The Humane Society is offering a $7,000 reward for anyone who can help find the person who mutilated three pit bull puppies and left them to die on the side of an Albany railroad track.

"Animal abuse is a very serious offense. Whoever did this despicable act is still out there in our community," said Brian Shapiro, New York state regional director for the Humane Society of the United States.

The reward was announced Friday morning at a news conference at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society shelter.

The bulk of the funds for the reward came from individual donations, mostly $5, $10 and $25, to the shelter, Shear said. The Humane Society of the United States contributed $2,500.

On Saturday, Sept. 8, the three puppies were found by railway workers on the tracks at North Pearl Street just north of the Each had what appeared to be deliberate injuries to their back left paws. Two of the puppies are on their way to recovery; the third, who had a hole clear through her paw, died Tuesday afternoon.

Another puppy, whose paw was sliced off by its attacker, might be a candidate for a new type of paw prosthetic, said Brad Shear, director of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

"What is troubling today is we seem to see more cases like this," said Albany County District Attorney David Soares, fresh off a Democratic primary win for his third term. "Times are tough; people are making poor choices about what to do with their pet friends."

He said Albany police and his office will be "aggressive in the pursuit of making this a felony case," emphasizing that animal abusers often also commit violent crimes against people.

The puppy maiming puts the case in the category of the most severe type of animal abuse. All three animals were in critical condition when they arrived at the shelter, suffering from malnourishment, hypoglycemia, dehydration and infected wounds. The shelter theorized the puppies were nailed to the railroad tracks.

Pit bulls are among the most frequently abused animals. In 2000-2001, pit bulls accounted for 13 percent of reported dog-abuse cases. By 2007, the most recent year for which figures are available, the number climbed to 25 percent.

Both puppies will be available for adoption as soon as they recuperate.

The Albany Police Department is asking anyone with information to call them at 462-8039.

kbrown@timesunion.com • 518-454-5035 • @kristenvbrown