My Coco got shot! WTF?

[Lou's mom]

Doing fine, had no symptoms, snuggling as I type, but WTF??

He'd been to the vet on Tues for a blood draw, exam was unremarkable. Wens I left for work at 0800, returned Thurs 1030 b/c I'm a firefighter working 24s, and had to hold for my relief to come from 35mi away.

Thurs 1230 I'm reading a book and scritching him when I find a bump. Curious to see if it matches a known bump on the other shoulder, I scritch at it a bit, and damnd if a piece of shot don't come out!

'Okay, be calm' I tell myself, 'he's a rescue, been w/you 9mo now, could be old stuff working it's way out' More scritching finds more shot: call a vet buddy, get an xray: 23 pellet visible on the chest, plus the 4 I pulled.

90min later, thorough x2 manual palpation puts 17 pellets in a tube, 3 shaved places, w/one where the pellet is visible above the entry wound but unable to be expressed.

Bella checked out clear, coupla strained muscles; drop by the cop shop to make a report, just in case. Deputy asks if the dog is with me, which gives Coco a chance to meet n greet and win hearts. "See what a dangerous dog he is?"

Anger doesn't begin to express my feelings; stopped at the corner store, told staff my dog had been shot, please warn other folks, and if morning conversation included 'shot that dog' to pitch in w/ 'cops are patrolling, cameras in place'.

Sadly, the 'suspect' list is small: drive-by shooter, and my N neighbor. I'd thought better of him, though he does have a pattern of badness to this property; made it a point to chat up the WWII + VN vet when we crossed paths, and help him out when I had the chance.


Preventatives include:

cop drivebys, due to report
word of mouth, 'installed cams that night'
asking the neighbors if they heard a shot, feeding above
deterent cam's, unpowered/wired
game cameras, functioning
practicing open carry on my property

if it happens again, I'll hafta put a solid fence on the road aspect.


thoughts, tips, ideas?

[jerriskinner]

I can't believe some jerk would shoot Coco! Hope he's gonna be okay. He's a sweet, harmless, good natured fellow built like an end table. Hope the law catches whoever did the dasterdly deed. Hanging is too good for them!