Dog shot through the chest with hunting arrow survives

In Eatonville, Washington, a friendly family dog named Junior is one lucky pooch after surviving what has been called “a kill shot” to his chest by a hunting arrow in the private woods next to his home, reports KOMONews.

On September 22, Junior’s owner, Heidi Austin-Root said someone shot her two-year-old dog at close range.

“He got shot right through the chest,” Heidi stated. “Barely missed his jugular; it was a kill shot.”

According to Heidi, she believes illegal elk poachers had been trespassing in the area, and when the dogs continued to scare the elk away, the hunters became angry. There was no mistaking the dog for a deer.

Junior was rushed to the Tacoma Veterinary Hospital where an x-ray showed the arrow had lodged itself into the dog’s chest, however he is expected to make a full recovery with perhaps  a limp from the injury. A $5,000 reward has been offered by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for the identity and prosecution of the responsible party. It is feared anyone capable of inflicting such  intentional cruelty onto an animal could do the same to a human.

Illegal hunting in Washington can be classified as felonies or misdemeanors and may  result in criminal prosecution and/or the loss of one’s hunting license and suspensions up to 10 years.

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(Photo via screenshot by KomoNews)