A dog left for dead in Cumberland County was found tied up and stuffed inside of a duffle bag.

The shelter caring for the dog tells News 12 New Jersey that if it wasn’t for a good Samaritan, the dog may not have survived.

"On Saturday, there was a gentleman who was walking his dog along the railroad tracks in Vineland and his dog alerted him to a bag on the ground. His dog was barking at the bag really persistent and didn't want to walk away from the bag,” says Jessica Morrison, director of operations for the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter. “That's when he saw the bag move and heard something inside and so he took the bag and brought it into us and when we opened up here, Coco was inside the bag. She was in three bags. A duffel bag inside a plastic bag, then in a cloth shopping bag."

After being checked out, Coco the Chihuahua appeared to be OK.

Vineland police are investigating the incident. A $6,000 reward from the shelter and PETA is being offered for information leading to the dog’s previous owners.

Coco is now with a foster family before she will be adopted out.

“She really is a fun little dog. I still can’t believe that anybody would’ve done this to her,” says Morrison.

Morrison says that Coco’s story stands as a reminder that if a pet owner isn’t able to keep their pet, there are options to rehome them.

"There's so many resources online. There are so many great organizations that help people rehome their pets. Within the shelter here, we have a community outreach program. Our coordinator in that program will work with a family to hopefully avoid having to have a pet go into a shelter and try and rehome that pet through them privately,” Morrison says.

Anyone who may have information about Coco is urged to contact the Vineland Police Department at 856-691-4111.