EAST HAVEN, Conn. (AP) An animal cruelty prevention group is offering a $5,000 reward for anybody who comes forward with information that leads to a criminal conviction in the case of a pit bull found abandoned inside a wire crate in East Haven.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the dog is now recovering at a shelter but authorities have not determined who left the animal inside the crate.

Animal control officers on Tuesday found the dog in the crate beside trash cans in freezing temperatures. PETA says the dog did not have food or water and was left to starve or freeze to death. The organization is urging anyone with information about the dog to call the East Haven Animal Shelter.