Inside, they found five puppies, who were only about five hours old, alongside their mother.
The rescue team rushed to the scene immediately. The tiny puppies were cold, wet, hungry, and still covered in birth fluids.
An exhausted mum
At first, the rescuers thought the dog had been hit by a car, but her actual condition was much more worrying. Extremely underweight and incredibly weak, the dog, whom they named Mercy, had a swollen face, abscesses, and severe breathing difficulties.
Despite being in such pain, this brave mum was still nursing her five babies. Sadly, she simply didn't have the strength left to clean them.
The rescuers rushed the dog and her puppies straight to the veterinary clinic. Tests eventually revealed that Mercy had not been hit by a car, but had actually been shot. Several bullet fragments were found lodged in her head, and both her jaw and the bone beneath her eye were fractured.
A first glimmer of hope
On 31 August, Mercy underwent surgery to remove as many bullet fragments as possible. However, some fragments were too dangerous to remove, especially those embedded in the bone and the tiny pieces scattered throughout her skull.
After the operation, Mercy woke up and showed real progress with her eating and breathing. She is keeping a watchful eye on her puppies, who are currently being bottle-fed by the rescuers.
The Brown County Humane Society is now appealing for donations to help cover the cost of her care. They are also asking for any information that might help identify the person responsible for these horrific injuries.
Translated from the FR Wamiz website using artificial intelligence
