Submitted photo Pennsylvania State troopers respond to a report of dog killings at the eastern boat ramp in Eaton Reservoir, just west of the state border. The three dogs, which had been shot and left are believed to have been used in a dog fighting operation.

Officials with PETA said they are offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on animal cruelty charges for the person responsible for killing three dogs found recently in a reservoir just over the state line.

The Pennsylvania State Police is investigating the discovery of the dogs found Oct. 20 in the water of the Howard Eaton Reservoir, located west of the town of Mina.

The three small pit bulls — one black male, one black female, and one brown female, each between 35 and 39 pounds — all had injuries consistent with being used in dog fighting and were wearing the quick-release collars typically used in organized dogfights. The ANNA Shelter believes the dogs were walked into the water and shot sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and that their bullet wounds would have been extremely painful but not fatal, so they likely drowned.

Police were called about 5:30 p.m. to the eastern boat ramp, which is accessed from State Line Road. The ramp is about quarter-mile west of the New York-Pennsylvania border.

“An organized dog fighting ring may be dumping its victims in Erie County,” says PETA vice president Colleen O’Brien. “PETA urges anyone with answers to come forward so that whoever shot these dogs and left them to drown in terror and agony can be held accountable.”

Tipsters should contact Officer Eric Duckett of The ANNA Shelter’s Cruelty/Neglect Division at (814) 572-5913 or eric@theannashelter.com.