ST. GEORGE — A dog who fell victim to animal cruelty is in for the fight of his life as he recovers from being shot twice with a shotgun. But he’s not the only one who got shot.
Animal Control Officer Mark Cobb said a total of six dogs were involved in the incident that occurred outside Colorado City, Arizona.
And Anita Mortensen, public information specialist for the Mohave County (Arizona) Sheriff’s Office, said four puppies and the mother dog were found deceased upon arrival, while the adult male dog, suspected to be the litter’s father, was alive but critically injured.
RSQ Utah’s lead volunteer Jennifer Hare said the organization works with the Hildale and Colorado City area’s law enforcement and animal control often, taking in dogs that are injured or abused.
RSQ received an urgent call from a sergeant in Hildale upon the gruesome six-dog discovery and agreed to assume medical responsibility for the remaining injured animal. The officer then drove the dog to Lava Rock Veterinary Hospital.
Hare said the dog, who has been named Vinnie, was shot twice with a shotgun using buckshot shotgun shells. The shells each contain pellets that look like BBs, which explode and spray out upon impact, as seen in Vinnie’s x-rays.
The shotgun blast went through the dog’s skull, and his ear was barely hanging on at intake, making it hard to decipher whether he had an intact ear canal. The remaining portion of the dog’s ear was amputated.
“They took out 93 little BBs from the buckshot,” Hare said. “He had another nine removed at an emergency clinic on Sunday, and there are still about 50 left inside of his body, per the X-ray.”
Some of the pellets left in Vinnie’s body are extremely close to his spine, which may cause neurological issues. Because they may be more damaging to remove, many pellets will more than likely remain inside his body.
Vinnie has been labeled as a Border Collie/Blue Healer mix and is estimated to be around 4 years old. Despite his traumatic experience and extensive injuries, Hare said Vinnie is an extremely sweet dog and in great spirits.
“He’s very kind and loving, always wagging his tail,” she said. “He actually loves to give kisses. He loves to go on walks, walks great on leash, just a very very good dog.”
So far, Vinnie has undergone two surgeries. On Sunday, he broke open some of his sutures and was seen by Southwest Emergency Vet. The vet recommended he be seen by the Las Vegas Veterinary Specialist, who recommended he undergo more surgeries.
He has also been treated by Zion Veterinary Care in Hurricane, which gave him another course of antibiotics. He is now on two antibiotics and two pain medications and will be seen again to evaluate for infections or possible surgeries down the road.
“It’s just been unbelievable support from the community,” she said. “We can’t thank businesses enough for how they’ve stepped up and how this has spread awareness for so many of these animals out there.”
While RSQ has assumed medical care for Vinnie, Hare said he is technically a ward of Mohave County until the investigation is completed. They expect the dog to be available to adopt or foster soon.
“At this point, all of the parties involved in this incident have been identified,” Mortensen said. “Charges are forthcoming pending the results of the ongoing investigation.”
As for animal welfare issues, Hare said it’s common for their nonprofit to receive calls about abused and injured animals in areas surrounding the twin cities of Hildale and Colorado City.
“This is not the only case we have had like this,” Hare said. “Not by far. This is a known and long-term existing problem in that area. This is just a case that’s even more off the wall than our typical abuse cases, but it is very frequent that we have severe medical cases come in from our rural communities.”
Animal Control Officer Cobb said a law is in place that makes it legal for an owner to humanely euthanize their dog, but the single dog that survived with injuries falls into the category of animal cruelty. Other charges may be filed.
RSQ is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit animal rescue organization with no paid employees. The group relies entirely on donations from generous donors to help them save hundreds of lives. Donations towards Vinnie’s recovery can be made through the RSQ website. For more info on RSQ and to follow Vinnie’s story, follow @rsqutah on Instagram or find them on Facebook.
This report is based on statements from police, volunteers or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo Gallery
Vinnie is seen recovering after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
A RSQ volunteer gives Vinnie love after he is rescued with gunshot wounds, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen recovering after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen with sutures after being shot twice with a shotgun and having his ear amputated, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen recovering after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen recovering after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen recovering after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
An x-ray shows the pellets scattered inside Vinnie after he was shot with a buckshot shotgun shell, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen with a protective barrier after having his ear amputated from a gunshot wound to the head, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
A RSQ volunteer gives Vinnie love after he is rescued with gunshot wounds, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
The injured dog Vinnie is seen with sutures after being shot twice with a shotgun, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Vinnie is seen going for a walk with his foster, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
The only survivor of an animal cruelty case near Colorado City receives medical treatment, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Six dogs were shot and one survived after being left to die near Colorado City, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
Six dogs were shot and one survived after being left to die near Colorado City, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Jennifer Hare, St. George News
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