Aggie is a happy-go-lucky puppy, friendly to all who meet him and in search of a permanent home.
But first, the 6-month-old pup must continue recovering from jaw surgery, after a vet discovered the dog had been shot multiple times, including once through the jaw.
Brittni Dilley, executive director of the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility shared Aggie’s harrowing tale, which now seems destined for a happy ending.
Early last week, a motorist traveling north of Iola found Aggie wandering near the intersection of U.S. 169 and West Virginia Road.
Aggie had a visible eye injury, so the motorist took him to ACARF, who in turn took Aggie to the Red Barn Veterinary Clinic for a checkup and neutering, one of the steps necessary to prepare the animal for adoption.
That’s when the vet discovered the horrible truth. Aggie had been shot twice, including once through the jaw and into his left eye. (His eye couldn’t be saved.)
One of the bullets — Dilley speculated he was shot with a .22 caliber rifle — passed within a centimeter of Aggie’s brain.
The jaw injury was a surprise, Dilley added, because Aggie had been eating regularly upon his arrival at the shelter. “He wasn’t acting like anything was wrong with his jaw.”
The surgery required an orthopedic specialist, something neither Red Barn nor ACARF was equipped to handle.
“We reached out to foster-based rescues who deal with emergency care on a regular basis to see if they could help.”
Up stepped administrators from Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary out of Spring Hill, who agreed to take in Aggie so he could be treated by a specialist in Kansas City.
After a lengthy surgery Friday, Aggie has recovered and is staying in a foster home for the next few weeks.
He’s wearing a muzzle to keep his jaws aligned while he recovers.
“He doesn’t seem to mind at all,” Dilley said. “He’s very sweet. Even through all the pain, he never showed any kind of aggression. He got along with everyone and everything. He’s a sweetheart.”
Once the foster period passes, Aggie will remain at Always and Furever and be put up for adoption.
