A dog badly burned by someone who deliberately set the animal on fire in Lancaster was being treated at an animal shelter today, and Los Angeles County supervisors approved a $5,000 reward in hopes of tracking down the tormentor.

The pitt bull mix was spotted running down the 300 block of Lingard Street, while ablaze, just before 11:30 Monday night.

Anne Brooks says she and her stepson heard horrible yelping sounds, looked outside and saw a fire on the front lawn of the home next door, which is vacant. "It sounded like a dog in pain," Brooks said. "I saw, I couldn't believe it, a dog on fire."

Brooks quickly ripped off her shirt and began dousing the flames, which she said had engulfed most of the dog's body.

"I grabbed my top off, whatever, you grab what you can", she said.

Within about two minutes the flames were out and deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Lancaster station had arrived.

The dog, which appeared to be about 6 months old, survived but suffered burns to the head, stomach, rear right leg and paw.

Deputies took the wounded dog to the Los Angeles County Animal Shelter in Lancaster for treatment.

News of the abuse quickly spread, and area residents began making offers to adopt the dog.

People in the area told deputies that they did not know who the dog belonged to, nor did they see the person who set the animal on fire.

If caught, the assailant would likely face animal cruelty charges.

"You're a sick individual", Brooks' stepson, Edward Brooks, said when asked what he would tell the person responsible.

Anyone with information on the attack was urged to call the sheriff's Lancaster Station at (661) 948-8466.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com