RICHMOND, Va. - Tommie -- the dog found tied to a pole and set on fire Sunday in Richmond -- has died.
"He had just finished having his bandages changed and stopped breathing; his body simply gave out," Richmond Animal Care and Control posted on Facebook on Friday morning. "Tommie was pain free and surrounded by people that loved him when he passed. Needless to say, we are all devastated and angry and sad and terribly disappointed."
The search continued for the person who tied Tommie to that pole, doused him with accelerate and set him on fire in Abner Clay Park on Sunday night.
"We remain steadfast in our dedication to find the person now responsible for Tommie’s death," the Facebook post continued. "The REWARD for information leading to the successful arrest and conviction of the person/s has risen to $25,000."
In the days since Tommie was found injured, thousands of people in Central Virginia and around the country followed his progress through social media updates provided by Richmond Animal Care and Control.
"I'm so very sorry that we couldn’t save Tommie, but I’m confident that we did everything we possibly could and that he felt true love and compassion for the time that he was in our care," Richmond Animal Care and Control post concluded.
Related: Bill to increase penalty for animal cruelty in Virginia moves forward in General Assembly
