SHARONVILLE, Ohio (WKRC) – A dog in Ohio is recovering after being shot in the head, according to authorities.
Miss Scarlett is the talk of her shelter in Sharonville.
The mama pooch was shot in the head and survived, something that Dr. Jennifer Smith, the Cincinnati Medical Services Vice President, is a miracle.
“I mean, to get shot in the head anytime and survive, that is pretty miraculous,” she said. “Having a bullet go through your neck where all those vital structures are. I mean, the chance of it not hitting something very important… I think she is very lucky.”
The dog also had eight puppies who were still feeding at the time.
“We’ve given them all an examination and everything, got them started on vaccines and they’re doing great,” Smith said. “We have them in foster care so that they can get their needs watched and make sure they’re eating because they weren’t fully weaned yet.”
SPCA chief humane agent Brandon Corcoran responded to the call for help after someone had rescued the dog after she had been shot.
“Scarlett was out of her yard. She was on her neighbor’s property. The neighbor did shoot Scarlett,” he said. “Had it been a higher caliber, we wouldn’t be discussing Scarlett today. She’s very lucky to be here.”
Scarlett’s owner lived in Lincoln Heights, which is where the shooting happened.
Corcoran said this incident highlights the importance of keeping an eye on your dogs when you let them out.
“In this incident, the owner was unaware that Scarlett was out, and things happen as severe as this,” he said. “ We’re just lucky no one was hurt, and she’s OK.”
Scarlett still has a long road to recovery, including possibly more surgeries.
Her owner could not cover the medical costs for the dog and surrendered her and the puppies to the SPCA.
While it is unclear exactly what caused the neighbor to shoot, Smith said the dog seems to have a sweet personality and does not think a new owner will have any issues as long as they take it slow.
“Slowly introduce her to other pets,” Smith said. “Be cautious when she’s meeting new people and stuff at first because you don’t know what happened in that interaction to make her get scared. And she may have some residual issues if she sees somebody that reminds her of having that trauma.”
If everything goes well, Scarlett could be ready to be adopted soon.
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