A dog found with a gunshot wound on the Viejas reservation showed signs of improvement Wednesday, a County Animal Services spokesman said.
“Chance,” an 18-month-old retriever mix, was alert and eating Wednesday, Lt. Dan DeSousa said. The dog’s condition was upgraded from “critical” to “serious,” and the concentration of oxygen in his kennel at the Mission Valley emergency hospital had been steadily lowered from 100 percent to 40 percent, indicating that the dog’s lung function was improving, DeSousa said.
On Tuesday evening, Animal Services located the dog’s owner after she called a local news station that had covered the dog’s story. The owner relinquished the pet to County Animal Services, which will continue to provide for the dog’s care through the all-donation Spirit Fund.
The dog’s former owner lives on a large rural property and had allowed the dog to roam the reservation, where no law requires owners to keep dogs fenced, DeSousa said.
The woman said she didn’t know who would shoot the pet.
“She doesn’t have any idea who might have had a problem with the dog,” DeSousa said. “He was very friendly and everyone knew him.”
The conscious and wounded animal was found about 7:30 a.m. Monday near the Heartland fire station on Viejas Grade Road by a woman who spotted the animal from her car. A single bullet had shot through his torso.
Animal Services is investigating the shooting and expects to soon announce the establishment of monetary award for information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Animal Services at 619-236-2341.
Updates on the dog’s condition will be posted on Animal Services Facebook page.
Anyone who wishes to donate to the dog’s veterinary care can visit the department’s website or visit one of the County’s three shelters.
Video: Learn about the Spirit Fund, which pays for animals’ medical treatment.
