Arizona authorities hope the offer of an $8,000 cash reward will lead them to those responsible for the shooting death of a Salt River wild horse.

On Oct. 1, a caller to the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group’s hotline reported seeing a horse’s remains at the Salt River recreation area near Coon Bluff, Arizona. On further investigation, the organization determined that the 12-year-old mare, named Dotty, had sustained a single gunshot wound. The group conducted its own investigation, then contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

On Oct. 5 the MCSO said an investigation conducted with officials from the U.S. Forest Service revealed that the horse’s carcass showed no evidence of a gunshot wound. Four days later, the agency issued another statement saying that the investigation into the animal’s death was never closed and that further investigation revealed that the horse had been shot by a small caliber weapon. The case was subsequently turned over to the MCSO’s Animal Crimes Unit for investigation as an animal cruelty case.

On Oct. 15, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the agency was offering a $6,000 cash reward to anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the horse’s shooting. The reward is derived from a $1,000 donation from the Schill Law Group and a $5,000 donation from the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, Arpaio said