Often dogs who are homeless and starving can be easy to approach as they’re desperate for help.
But for one dog in Scotland he wouldn’t let anyone near me, despite needing urgent medical assistance.
The lurcher pup was found in North Lanarkshire by a dog warden after a call from a concerned resident.
He was so frightened he wouldn’t go anywhere near the warden and had to be sedated before being taken to the local Scottish Society for the Prevention Cruelty of Animals (SPCA).
Tests were carried out on the pup, which staff called Ashton, which showed he had been shot more than 60 times with a pellet gun, as reported by the Daily Record.
Ashton also had a lot of bullets still lodged in his flesh.
Claire Aiton, assistant manager of the center in Lanarkshire, said: “The dog warden had quite an ordeal trying to catch Ashton as he was so nervous.
“When he first arrived he was terrified and showing visible signs of distress,” she said, as per the Mirror newspaper.
“We were astonished to find pellet wounds all over his body and tail when he was X-rayed.
“Once the pellets had been removed and Ashton had recovered from the operation, his temperament changed quickly.
“He was no longer aggressive and we suspect he was reacting negatively due to the pain he was in.
“Our team has dedicated time to coaxing Ashton out of his shell and although he is still nervous, he has come on leaps and bounds.”
Now the newly reformed dog enjoys going on walks and even lets staff cuddle him.
“He is currently receiving the rehabilitation he needs and is not available for rehoming at the moment,” she added.
“We would like to find out what happened to Ashton. It might be that he wandered too close to farm animals and a farmer has shot him.”
Appealing for more information
It is legal for farmers to do this in order to protect their own animals but staff don’t know for sure if this is the reason Ashton was in such a state.
They are appealing for information in the hope of finding out.
Let’s hope Ashton gets over his ordeal quickly and a forever home can be found for him.
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