Stray dogs arrive at animal shelters with all sorts of injuries - but this puppy is one that rescuers will never forget.
A four-month-old female chihuahua was found shot through the neck with an arrow in Southern California on Monday.
A woman call 911 after finding the wounded dog "screaming" in a neighbourhood near the city of Desert Hot Springs, authorities reported.
A sheriff's deputy recovered the injured pup and transferred it to an animal services officer, who "held the dog and comforted it" on the way to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus.
Staff determined that the arrow did not strike the puppy's vital arteries and it was expected to survive.
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Registered veterinary technician, Ivan Herrera, sedated the dog and captured X-rays, then safely removed the arrow.
Animal services director Erin Gettis said: "For someone to wilfully shoot this poor pup with an arrow is disgusting.
"We are shocked and we hope someone can provide us any information as to who did this."
Veterinary technician Emily Ellison assisted Herrera in the dog's treatment and recovery.
She said: "Ivan did such an amazing job to save this dog's life. It's amazing to see her affection, despite what occurred.
"She is such a sweet puppy. I cannot imagine why anyone would do something so terrible to such an innocent creature. It's very sick."
Another miracle dog who survived major surgery is golden retriever Marty.
His owner Jane Gallacher assumed that he'd been eating too much food and began cutting back his treats.
But then vets realised something was seriously wrong with the 11-year-old pooch, and found a football-sized mass on his spleen.
Marty was rushed in for an emergency operation at Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS) in West Lothian to remove the 20cm tumour.
Thankfully, the senior dog survived and proved to everyone that he wasn't being greedy after all.
Do you have a story to tell? Contact nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
