We are happy to tell you that the dog shot with approximately 100 BBs is recovering and has just been adopted into a loving home, and that her attacker has been arrested.
Peter Blanton said when he saw Lady, it was love at first sight. He went to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb, Maine, looking to adopt a new dog. That’s when he happened upon Lady.
“I was late that day, and I wasn’t supposed to be able to get in [the shelter], but the staff stayed late,” Blanton said. “They showed me this dog, and it was sort of like love at first sight.”
The black Lab was found abandoned and wandering down the side of a road. She was taken to the shelter, where staff members conducted a routine examination. They were astounded to find her body peppered with the tiny, metal birdshot balls. X-rays showed she had been shot in the face, stomach and back.
Dr. Dean Domeyer of the Boothbay Animal Hospital has been working on Lady, who will soon have some of the Bbs extracted. Not all of them may be removed, as they are made of brass, so they are not likely to pose health risks, and the number of incisions may just end up causing Lady more discomfort. However, testing and further examinations will be done to make sure.
“She’s a fantastic dog,” said Dr. Domeyer. “She doesn’t appear to be shaken up by the whole experience of getting on the wrong end of a blast from something.”
Waldoboro police have arrested 32-year-old Aaron Armstrong and have charged him with aggravated animal cruelty. What’s more important for Lady is that she is no longer suffering at the hands of her torturer.
“She’s just got a wonderful personality,” Blanton said. “We’re really 100 percent satisfied with her now, so we just hope there are no further complications.”
“She’s a lucky dog. I mean, she doesn’t have any eye damage as the vet said and she doesn’t seem to have any organ damage, so I think she’s going to have a wonderful life. She’s very lucky. I think I’m very lucky. In just one day, she follows me like a shadow. She just wants love, and we love her.”
