MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – A suspected bait dog is dead after being found in a carport in Brevard County.

"It's really hard, I just don't know, I just don't know," said Dr. Mina Zaky of Animal Speciality and Emergency Hospital, who even as a seasoned veterinarian finds it difficult to describe the badly injured dog brought into his care Tuesday.

"It​'s a very sad case," he said.

The young dog was found lying underneath the carport of a Merritt Island home Tuesday. The dog was lethargic and could barely move. In addition to fresh bite marks, the dog had older bites that had healed.

"A lot of them are from his hind quarters, which is consistent from a bait dog, because they are trying to get away from a more aggressive dog," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.

Investigators believe the dog, nicknamed 'Star', either escaped from a dog fighting ring, or was dumped and left for dead by its captors.

The dog was rushed by animal services to Dr. Zaky and the staff at Animal Speciality and Emergency Hospital.

"The team at the hospital did everything they could," Ivey said.

But Star's injuries and pain was too severe and he went into cardiac arrest overnight. The vet had no choice to euthanize him.

Along with investigating this case, the sheriff's office is looking into reports of a nearby dog fighting ring, to see if they're connected.

"We've actually rescued some other dogs that we believe were being kept for dog fighting," Sheriff Ivey.

The question now remains, how did this happen and who is responsible.

"It's a disgusting individual, and there's only one place for them, and that's prison," Ivey said.

"He has no heart, this person has no heart," Dr. Zaky said.​

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward, donated by local organizations, for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this animal cruelty case.

If you have information call the Sheriff's Office, or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.