TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Corporal went above and beyond to help save a dog that was shot and left for dead last week.

  • Dog found near a strawberry field, shot in upper leg
  • Master Corporal Shawn Helmer named the dog "Cupcake"
  • Have information about Cupcake? Call 813-744-5660
  • More Hillsborough County stories 

Master Corporal Shawn Helmer said his neighbor found the dog trembling in a ditch near a strawberry field late last week. She had been shot in the upper leg.

"It's a horrible person," Helmer said, speaking about whoever shot the dog. "I don't know the circumstances behind it, but I can't think of any reason why you'd need to shoot this dog."

Helmer rushed Cupcake, who he affectionately named because of her loving and sweet demeanor, to the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, where she’s been recovering since.

"I'd love nothing more than to figure out who did this and make sure they answer for it, but the biggest thing right now is making sure she gets the surgery she needs and is OK," Helmer said.

The bullet is still in Cupcake’s body. She needs surgery and a lot of care, but Helmer said he knows she’ll be in good hands with fellow Hillsborough County Deputies Sam and Cindy Rodriguez.

"I think that things happen for a reason," Rodriguez told us. "Everything's lined up and we hope things continue that way and she's able to be adopted soon."

They hope that some good can come from this horrific act and that Cupcake will be happy in her new home.

Hillsborough County Animal Services is still investigating the shooting. If you know anything about what happened to Cupcake, call them at 813-744-5660.