Authorities have a suspect in the case of German Shepherd who was tied to a tree in a back yard for five weeks with no food or water. (See yesterday’s story, if you missed this tragic tale.)

Capt. Aaron Reyes, with the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority, says his agency will go after felony charges against a 26-year-old Bellflower, Calif., woman suspected of starving a 3-year-old German Shepherd to within hours of death. “We will not discount the crime here,” he told the Orange County Register.

According to Reyes, it’s just a matter of time. We need to connect the dots and get some cooperation from the parties involved before we can publicly identify her, Reyes says.

Meanwhile, the dog, Courage, is making excellent strides toward recovery. He eats like a horse, and has put on five pounds since his rescue last week. Check out the video below to see his progress. He had some inner reserve that kept him fighting for life, and it looks like he is going to pull through. It also looks like he wants to tell the world his story!

We’ll keep you posted as the story unfolds.