CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three dogs were tied last week to the railroad tracks that run through Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

Two of them were killed by trains. The third was a small dog that hunched down when the train came. She survived.

A bridge monitor found the little dog about 8:50 p.m. Friday and called police, Lt. Mark Ketterer said. She was taken to the Cleveland Kennel, then transferred to the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter in Valley View.

The railroad worker told officers that he had discovered the first two dogs' bodies in the same secluded stretch of tracks near University and Scranton roads.

And he witnessed from a distance the third dog being tied out. He said a man tied the small dog to a rail then appeared to take photographs or video of her.

By the time the railroad worker got to the dog, the train had passed and the man was gone.

Police are asking Tremont residents to be on the lookout for a man walking a dog near railroad tracks. Report suspicious activity to Second District officers at 216-623-5200. Ketterer will head the investigation.

"It's got everyone upset over here that someone would do that. It's awful that someone did that to torture animals, and might be filming it," he said.

UPDATE: A week later, the railroad worker told police that he hadn't found two dead dogs tied to the tracks, and the dog that survived was wearing a leash that could have become tangled in the track. Police are no longer looking for a suspect.



Cat sanctuary needs supplies: Caroline's Kids Cat Sanctuary in Lake County needs dry and canned cat food, scoopable litter and cleaning supplies, including bleach, laundry and dish soap, paper towels and 33-gallon trash bags. The sanctuary cares for 270 cats at 7394 Morley Road, Concord Township, and is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 440-449-3496.

Dog walk in Wadsworth: Save Ohio Strays hosts its eighth annual Dave Francis Memorial Dog Walk at 11 a.m. Saturday at River Styx Park, 8200 River Styx Road. Register for $10 a dog: saveohiostrays.org. The walk is named after a Save Ohio Strays founder.

Poker run in Valley View: The fifth annual poker run for the Public Animal Welfare Society starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Quaker Steak and Lube, 5939 Canal Road. Motorcycles leave first, followed by cars. The grand prize is $500. Register at 9:30 a.m. or pawsohio.org for $20 a driver; $5 for passengers. Food, beverages, music and raffles.

Rummage in Stow: The Humane Society of Greater Akron's rummage sale runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Stow-Kent Shopping Plaza, 4301 Kent Road. Tucker Supply, 2800 Second St., Cuyahoga Falls, is collecting donated items between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Dog paddle: The Chagrin River Canoe & Kayak Livery hosts Paddle with Your Pooch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 201 Erie Road, Eastlake. Rent a canoe for $20. Proceeds go to the Lake Humane Society. Canoe and kayak owners enter for a donation of cash or pet food. Dogs must wear leashes and life jackets. Reservations required: 440-942-4141.

Dog walk for women's shelter: The third annual Walk & Wag Against Abuse runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Hardesty Park, 1615 W. Market St., Akron, to raise money for the Battered Women's Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties and raise awareness of the effects of violence against women and pets. Tickets for adults are $12, while children and pets are free; tinyurl.com/83culxk.

Great Danes in Westlake: Members of Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue will introduce people to their gentle giants from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Pet Supplies Plus, 30034 Detroit Road. Other Dane owners are invited to bring their dogs. The group has 17 Danes in Bethel, Ohio, that need homes. Details: 937-379-2231.

Horse show: Angels Haven Horse Rescue hosts a horse show at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville stables, 11921 Parkview Road. Free admission for spectators. Bring a chair. Details: angelshavenhorserescue.org.

Dog days in Moreland Hills: Greyhound Adoption of Ohio hosts the 19th annual Canine Fun Days and Greyhound Reunion from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field at Ohio 87 and Chagrin River Road. Dock diving, swimming, dog show, lure coursing, greyhound racing, agility course, dog team show and rescue groups with dogs for adoption. Admission is $5, $3 for children 11 and younger and free for dogs. Attraction tickets are $3 to $10. Details: 440-543-6256, GreyhoundAdoptionofOH.org.

Rummage in Parma: Stearns Homestead hosts a rummage sale from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 6975 Ridge Road. Sellers can set up tables for $15 each. Details: stearnshomestead.com, 216-233-9818.

Dog swim in Parma: The Parma Animal Shelter's annual Doggie Swim and Cook Out runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the pool at Walters Grove Park, 4400 Walter Ave. Register for $5 at parmashelter.org or call 440-885-8014.

Dining in Cleveland for dogs: Kodi's Club Rescue receives 20 percent of purchases between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday at Johnny Mango World Cafe & Bar, 3120 Bridge Ave. Flier required: kodisclub.com.

Akron Zoo: Residents of Summit County get free admission to the Akron Zoo on Mondays and Tuesdays in August and September. Boston Heights, Boston Township, Hudson, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, Northfield Center Township, Northfield, Peninsula, Reminderville, Richfield Township, Richfield, Sagamore Hills Township, Silver Lake, Stow, Twinsburg and Twinsburg Township residents visit Monday and Tuesday. Akron residents enter free Sept. 9 and 10. Cuyahoga Falls residents get in free Sept. 16 and 17. Parking is $2. Details: akronzoo.org, 330-375-2550.

Happy hour for dogs: The Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio benefits from Yappy Hour from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Tremont Taphouse, 2572 Scranton Road, Cleveland. Dog-friendly patio, two dozen beers on tap and food. PAWS receives $1 for each beer sold.

Summit pets: The Humane Society of Greater Akron celebrates its 44th birthday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, by offering dogs for $44 and cats for $4. All are neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped and come with 30 days of pet insurance. See photographs at summithumane.org.

Dog walk in Akron: The Huntington's Disease Society of America's Great Lakes Region and One of a Kind Pet Rescue host a dog walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Hardesty Park, 1615 W. Market St. Refreshments, raffles and dog contests. Register at hdsa.org/neoh.

Funds for cat rescue: Gourmet pizza baked in a wood-fired oven will be served at the Decades of Cat Rescue event from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Orchard Hills Center, 11414 Caves Road, Chesterland. Raffles and a silent auction will benefit Save Our Strays, of Euclid, Abandoned Animal Welfare, of Mentor, and the 30-year-old Happy Tails Cat Sanctuary, of Chesterland. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for teens and $10 for children for all-you-can-eat pizza, flat bread, salad, cake and nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Wood Fire Catering, of Wickliffe, is donating alcohol and food, which will be prepared onsite. For tickets or to make a raffle or auction donation: 440-759-0076, happytailscatsanctuary.org.

Pets in Woodmere: The village and the Pet People store host the first annual Wag Tail event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, at Village Square Shopping Center. Dog costume contest, pet product booths and adoptable dogs.

Poker run for veterans and dogs: Veteran's Best Friend and the Animal and Avian Medical Center's Good Samaritan Fund receive the proceeds from a poker run Sunday, Aug. 26. Sign-up begins at 10 a.m. at the Animal and Avian Medical Center, 4171 Center Road, Brunswick. Prizes -- $250 for the best hand, $50 for the worst hand -- awarded at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, music, games and raffles at The Grille, 1813 Pearl Road, Brunswick. Tickets are $10 a person or $15 a couple. Veteran's Best Friend adopts shelter dogs and trains them to assist military veterans (video), and the Good Samaritan fund pays for emergency veterinary care for low-income pet owners.

Animal research: Activists protest the use of animals in laboratory research Sunday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. outside Ricerca Biosciences at Auburn and Crile roads in Concord Township, near Painesville, and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. outside the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute at Carnegie Avenue and East 100th Street, Cleveland. "We encourage those who choose to attend to wear black clothing and armbands," activist Ellie Israel said. Last year, the institute did research on 25 primates, 115 dogs, 17 sheep, 240 pigs, nine calves, 177 rabbits and 351 hamsters, according to the USDA. Details: ellieleonin@aol.com.

Seniors at the zoo: The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo offers free admission to adults 55 and older from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Senior Safari day, Friday, Aug. 31. The zoo has wheelchairs for rent. Details: clemetzoo.com or 216-661-6500.

Geauga cats: The Geauga Humane Society this month offers cats for $25 and kittens for $50, while a second kitten is free at the shelter, 15463 Chillicothe Road, Russell Township. Details: geaugahumane.org, 440-338-4819.

Low-cost neuters in Akron: Cats Having Alterations Professionally hosts a mobile clinic Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Nefco Building, 180 E. South St. Kittens need to be 12 weeks old. Vaccines, parasite treatments and nail trims available. Cost is $40 for males and $60 for females. Register: 330-724-6181.

Golfing for dogs for kids: The second annual WAGS 4 Kids golf outing starts at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at the Aurora Golf Club. Register by Friday, Sept. 7; 330-338-9252. WAGS trains and gives dogs to children with disabilities: wags4kids.org.

Fundraiser in Parma: The Bartels Busack Pet Hospital Resort hosts a fundraiser for the Parma Animal Shelter, All Dogs' Heaven and Spirit's Cove Animal Rescue from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6270 State Road. Chrysanthemum and bake sale, raffles, live music, free hot dogs and soda. Details: 440-845-7141.

Steak & bake in Grafton: Angels Haven Horse Rescue's second annual Steak & Bake Off runs from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at the North Park Community Room, 1050 Novak Road. Dinner is $20 a person. Bake off entries are $5. Details: angelshavenhorserescue.org or 440-781-5060.

Parrots: The Parrot Education and Adoption Center of Cleveland is helping to raise money for the Tambopata Macaw Project in Peru by selling $10 raffle tickets for a seven-day stay for two at a Rainforest Expeditions lodge near the Tambopata Research Center in Peru. Details: tinyurl.com/bntx7ae. The drawing is Sunday, Sept. 9, at the group's 2012 conference, featuring three parrot experts. Register for $50 at clevelandpeac.org.

Wildlife in Bath Township: Three rescue groups will bring birds of prey, bobcats, coyotes, bats and more to the free Wild 4 the Night event from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Camp Christopher, 1930 N. Hametown Road. Campfires, bonfires, live music, star gazing with astronomers, crafts, games, face painting, raffles and Bigfoot stories by Mark Maisel, an investigator for the Bigfoot Researchers Organization. Register: info@wild4ever.com, 330-825-2434.

Walk for farm animals: Farm Sanctuary's annual Walk for Farm Animals begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Church of the Covenant, 11205 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Free vegan food, live music, raffles, tattoos for kids. Register for $15 at events.walkforfarmanimals.org/event/cleveland or for $25 at 2 p.m. the day of the event. Children participate for free.

Lake pets: The Lake Humane Society and Classic Auto Group offer a two-year lease on a 2012 Mazda 6 or $5,000 to the winner of a raffle that benefits the humane society. Tickets are $10 each at the shelter, 7564-E Tyler Blvd., Mentor, or at its events before the drawing Oct. 27 at the annual Black Cat Ball.

Pasta for PAWS: The Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio gets 40 percent of proceeds from sales of Fun Pasta through Oct. 31 at funpastafundraising.com/shop/PawsOhio.

Volunteering in Parma: The Parma Animal Shelter needs volunteers willing to care for cats and dogs for two hours a week at 6260 State Road. Foster homes are needed for kittens. Details: 440-821-2967, parmashelter.org.

Farm animals need food: Stearns Homestead in Parma needs donations of canned and dry cat food, apples, lettuce, Cheerios, carrots and cash. Volunteers are also needed to care for the animals and help at events. The farm at 6975 Ridge Road also hosts market days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Oct. 6. Details: stearnshomestead.com, 2l6-233-9818.

Volunteering in Berea: Berea Animal Rescue Friends seeks volunteer drivers, foster homes and cat monitors at the Strongsville and Westgate Petco stores, and dog walkers, cat socializers and fundraisers to build a new shelter. Details: bereaanimalrescue.com, 440-234-2034.

Stocking Bedford store: Valley Save-A-Pet needs donations to restock its resale shop, Purrfect-Place, 715 Broadway Ave. Sales support the nonprofit group's low-cost neuter, feral cat and stray rescue programs. Drop off new or gently used kitchenware, linens, pet supplies, decorations, collectibles, jewelry or purses and wallets between noon and 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 440-232-9124.

Cleveland cats: Residents of the Broadway and Slavic Village neighborhoods, ZIP code 44105 in Cleveland, can get owned and stray cats neutered for free through the Public Animal Welfare Society. Call 216-739-0705 to schedule a surgery. Details: 440-442-729.

Pets in Medina County: Save Ohio Strays, based in Wadsworth, offers vaccinated, neutered cats for $9.99 and dog for $50. Details: saveohiostrays.org, 440-567-3585.

Feral cats: Euclid Beach Feral Cat Project volunteers in Cleveland's North Collinwood neighborhood have captured 817 cats and kittens since April 2009. Most were taken to the Cleveland Animal Protective League for adoption. More than 171 feral cats were vaccinated, neutered and returned to small shelters in the beach area and surrounding neighborhoods, where they're fed daily. More volunteers and donations are needed; ebfcp.org. Checks made out to Northeast Shores Development Corp., with EBFCP written in the memo line, can be mailed to the corporation, 317 East 156th Street, 44110.

PAWS needs foster homes: The Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio needs more foster homes. PAWS pays for veterinary care, food and litter. Details: pawsohio.org, 440-442-PAWS.

Pet food pantry: The People Care Pet Pantry in Portage County provides free pet food to Ohio families facing hardships and is seeking donations of pet food, toys, collars, blankets, beds, cat litter, gasoline cards, index cards, printer paper and cash. Details: peoplecarepetpantry.webs.com, 330-389-5116.

Paying for vet care: The Jake Brady Memorial Fund, named after a beloved Dalmatian, helps low-income families pay for veterinary care for pets with serious injuries or illness; myjakebrady.com, 440-937-4000. Since May 2006, the group has raised more than $80,000 and assisted more than 85 pets. Donations are welcome.

Dog park in the Metroparks?: Cleveland Metroparks planners are collecting public comments on whether a dog park is needed in one of its reservations. "We need to understand what type of dog park, if any, is needed. What isn't already available in local communities?" said planning chief Patty Stevens. Submit comments before the end of summer at clemetparks.com/centennialplan/index.asp or 4101 Fulton Pkwy., 44144.

Puppy mills: The Humane Society of the United States offers $5,000 rewards for information leading to animal-cruelty convictions of puppy mill operators. Call 1-877-645-5847 (877-MILL-TIP). You can remain anonymous.

Send animal news to dJmiller@plaind.com; fax 216-999-6374; 216-999-4852. Get more animal news at cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/animals/index.html and blog.cleveland.com/missing-pets.