GRAYSON COUNTY, Texas -- Imagine seeing a dog bound and gagged and left at the side of a road to die a slow death.

That's what Denise Stokes witnessed Wednesday evening along JP Cave Road in a rural section of Grayson County just southeast of Sherman.

"It broke my heart," she said. "I found her and saw her laying on the ground, and her back legs were still duct-taped. The tape around her mouth and front legs had already been removed, but she couldn't walk because they were crisscrossed together, taped up."

That wasn't the first time Stokes had seen the dog she now calls "Sweetie."

"I was taking her food because she's been a stray over there for a while," Stokes recalled. "She had milk at one point, and I couldn't just take her then because I had to find puppies first, I thought."

Now Sweetie is at home with Stokes, but she can't keep her.

As you can imagine, people are lining up to adopt Sweetie, but Stokes isn't going to let her go to just anyone.

"I want someone who needs her as much as she needs them."

Stokes hopes to take Sweetie to a rescue organization.

"They'll chip her, they'll have her vetted, they'll have her spayed, and -- hopefully -- find her a good home like she deserves," she said. "I want her to have love, I want her to be happy, and I want her to make somebody happy, because I know she will."

The Grayson County Sheriff's Office investigating the case in an effort to find the perpetrator.

"They could be facing misdemeanor animal cruelty charges," said department spokesperson Capt. Sarah Bigham. "There was no significant injury done to the dog, which is good in this case, but they could still be charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty."

Denise Stokes hopes Sweetie will get the love -- and justice -- she deserves.

"She's such a little sweet dog," she said.

On Friday, Stokes planned to have Sweetie scanned for a chip that would identify her original owner.  If she doesn't have one, Stokes will try getting her into a rescue organization.