BUFFALO, NY-Buffalo Police are investigating the discovery of a puppy found Monday suffering from severe burns.

The treating veterinarian said the young Jack Russell Terrier pup is possibly 16-weeks-old. Police say he and was first spotted by a resident on Herman Street in Buffalo who called 911 about an animal on fire. Mary Baldwin told 2 On Your Side's Claudine Ewing that at first she thought "it was a ball of paper on fire," but on second glance she realized it was a puppy.

Baldwin said while calling for help, there was a man chasing the puppy. She said he caught it and tried to smother the pup with a cloth in hopes of putting out the fire. She believes the man was trying to save the animal.

When fire, police and animal control officers arrived, they transported the unnamed puppy to the Buffalo Small Animal Hospital. The animal is undergoing treatment at the Buffalo Small Animal Hospital.

There was an odor detected by those treating the animal at the hospital. Whether or not it was lighter fluid is part of a police investigation.

As for the animal, according to Dr. Rebecca Wagner, "he's obviously very critical, for the next 5-7 days. He does look better today and he's eating food, so that's a good sign. Yesterday we had to treat him with shock fluids and certain medications to help get his blood pressure up. He was white as a ghost and he's pinked up quite a lot today."

Their goal is to treat the puppy so that he can be adopted in the future, but each day is critical.

No owner has claimed the dog.

On Wednesday, the puppy was given the name of "Phoenix".

Anyone with information on the owner of the Jack Russell Terrier should call (716) 851-5694.

If you have information about how the animal was burned, police want you to call the Confidential Tipline at (716) 847-2255.