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Number Of Dogs Found With Chemical Burns Up To 9 [Graphic]

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The total number of dogs found with horrific chemical burns is now up to nine, and authorities still haven't caught whoever is doing it.

A 3-year old Chihuahua mix named Taco was found on Thursday night in the Antelope Valley with burns on his back that were giving him "excruciating pain." The burns were deep enough that his flesh was fully exposed. "The amount of scarring to the skin, it's substantial," veterinarian Tamara Leary told KTLA. "It's literally falling off."

Luckily for Taco he will probably not be euthanized, though he currently takes pain medication and antibiotics to help him cope with his burns.

Taco is the ninth dog in the Antelope Valley and Kern County to have been found suffering from burns, dating back to August. The first was a golden retriever named Fergus and the other victims were six pit bulls and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Sadly, two of those dogs had to be euthanized. The rest are still being treated and Fergus is staying with a foster family.

On Friday, Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue announced that the reward money offered to find the attacker or attackers of the dog was increased to $50,000. Half of the reward is being offered by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, and the remainder includes contributions from PETA and the Golden Retriever Rescue.

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