Lincoln County authorities continued to investigate the brutal torture and killing of a young dog Friday as people registered outrage at the crime.

The Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter has been inundated with calls from people requesting to add to the reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit, shelter president Lori McNicol said.

"The phone never stopped ringing," said McNicol, adding that she has lost track of the number of calls the shelter has received from people pledging money to increase the reward. "It's incredible."

The reward, which started at $500 donated by private parties, has by now grown into the thousands of dollars.

The dog, a 6- to 8-month-old female black Labrador mix with white patches on her chest and throat, belonged to a Eureka family, McNicol said. The family, after reading a newspaper story about the killing, was able to identify their pet from a picture taken after the dog's body was found Saturday in the Tobacco River.

She had been missing since the night before.

A man picnicking near the river with his own dogs discovered the dog's body and notified animal control officers.

Evidence indicates the suspect or suspects tied the dog to a post, beat her, and then hung her - still alive - over the side of the Pigeon Bridge off Montana 37 outside Eureka. The dog then was dropped 20 feet into the river, landing in 5 or 6 inches of water.

"You can see where the dog was tied there, where the majority of the beating took place," said Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter Director Wendy Anderson, who described the bloody scene as "horrific."

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has launched an animal cruelty investigation, said Detective Jim Sweet.

Anderson and McNicol have stressed that the brutal killing is a problem not just for animal-lovers, but for the whole community.

According to a 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University, animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people and four times more likely to commit property crimes than people without a history of animal abuse.

Marvin's Fund of Montana, a nonprofit founded to assist law enforcement with the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases, has set up an account to accept donations for an increased reward. Call Myni Ferguson at (406) 862-5443, visit the group's Web site at www.marvinsfundofmontana.org, or mail a donation to P.O. Box 2095, Whitefish, MT, 59937.

Contributions also can be made directly to the Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter by calling (406) 297-7984 or mailing donations to P.O. Box 1815, Eureka, MT 59917.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com