Dr. Edelstein at Weslaco Border Animal Hospital tells Action 4 News that when Dingo, one of his most recent patients came through the door, he had a swollen and bloody jaw.
Dingo's owner Roy Penaloza, said that’s how he found his dog just a few houses down from his own, after he got out from the back yard.
"I saw he was injured with what we believed to be blunt force trauma from a golf club or something,” Penaloza said. “But the vet called me last night and said he had been shot."
Edelstein said he took out bullet fragments from Dingo's jaw, which is now broken and will need reconstructive surgery.
"He's going to have to have all the infection out of there, all of the dead tissue is going to have to come out, then he'll have to have a bone plate put in there for it to heal," Edelstein said.
Penaloza is feeling the pain of his pet's injury and wants action against whoever pulled the trigger. He believes it was a neighbor in the Treasure Hills area that shot his dog.
Penaloza has already filed a report with the Harlingen Police Department.
"Animal cruelty has to stop,” Penaloza said. “Right now Dingo has made it several days through severe pain, and I hope it doesn’t go in vein."
Edelstein said he's seen cases of animal cruelty is puzzled about why anyone would want to hurt a seemingly passive animal.
“It's a shame that a sweet dog got hurt,” Edelstein said. “I can understand if someone is being attacked by a dog, but this is a sweet dog.”
Anyone who would like to help Penaloza with Dingo’s veterinary expenses can call Weslaco Border Animal Hospital and as for account number 46436.
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