A lucky puppy which miraculously survived being SHOT is now looking for a new home.
Lona – an 11-month-old Catahoula mix, with one brown eye and one blue – was blasted in the back with a .44 magnum handgun and left for dead.
The bullet passed all the way through her chest cavity to the front of her body but incredibly did not kill her after it missed her vital organs and arteries.
Several months after the shooting, Lona was found living beneath the porch of an abandoned house in Mississippi, US, by animal control.
The wounded pooch had squeezed into a gap just 6ins tall but when an officer came to rescue her, she popped out and gleefully greeted him.
Lona was then taken to Clarksdale Animal Rescue in Clarksdale (CARES), MS, on November 16, where staff noticed a large, firm bump at the front of her right shoulder.
Vets discovered she had a bullet the size of a DIME lodged in her chest and performed tricky emergency surgery to extract the shell, which was from a .44 magnum handgun.
Paige Daugherty, board member and public relations officer at CARES, said: “It’s a true miracle she survived. We couldn’t believe the size of the bullet.
“The bullet went in through her left shoulder and was protruding through her right shoulder, which means it passed straight through her chest cavity.
“It’s a wonder that it didn’t hit an artery. If left untreated, the wound could have become more infected and caused serious damage and discomfort to Lona.
“It’s so sad but we have no way to figure out the shooter.”
The center is now appealing for potential adopters to provide a loving home for the adorable dog, who was named Lona by rescuers, which means ‘beauty’ in Spanish.
It is thought that her different colored eyes might be due to a relatively common genetic default called heterochromia iridis.
Paige added: “She is recovering now with antibiotics, Lots of fluids, and a warm bed. We all love her and are hoping to find her a loving home once she fully recovers.
“It’s a miracle that the bullet did not kill her or cause her to fear humans, but it didn’t.
“She is healthy, friendly, and happy all of the time.”
To donate to CARES or find out more about adopting Lona, visit caresclarksdale.com
