LUCKY DOG: A plucky pooch needs a home after owner tries to destroy it

At first glance you would have no idea what this pup has been through, but his name might trigger a thought. "Around here they call him Bullet... because he still has a bullet in his head," said Kristine Jorgensen, a volunteer with the animal rescue organization Panora P.E.T.S. (Protecting Even the Strays).

Jorgensen brought the Yellow Lab/Great Pyrenees mix to Veterinarian Dr. Rachel Friedrich one week after Thanksgiving. The dog's owner had made a haphazard attempt to euthanize "Bullet" with a .22 caliber rifle. "The bullet actually kind of went across the back of his face," said Dr. Jorgensen.


The fragments are still visible in the x-ray. They lead a trail to a slug the vet chose not to remove for "Bullet's" safety. The shooting was his punishment after he ran away and found a forbidden meal. "(He) had gotten hungry and ate some of the neighbor's chickens," said Jorgensen.

The man who owns the chickens and who found "Bullet" still very much alive said "Bullet's" real name is "Jake." The neighbor said "Jake's" owner suffers from health problems and was probably feeling overwhelmed. We tried to talk to the owner, but he wasn't home. Jorgensen said there was a better way to handle it. She said, "A simple phone call to us, letting us know that he no longer wanted the dog would've been a much better choice than shooting the dog."

The choice was perfectly legal. Iowa law permits owners to shoot their own dogs in order to dispose of them if the dog has killed or harmed another domesticated animal. In this case, the dog did. "Bullet's" owner cannot be charged for trying, but failing to kill him. The legislature would have to change the law for criminal charges to apply. Jorgensen said, "(Lawmakers) had talked about it last year and they had tried to get something through to change it and it didn't pass. I'm hoping they can work on something again this year."

Now that the dog is healthy, Jorgensen hopes to find him a new home. People who are interested in adopting "Bullet" can contact Panora P.E.T.S. at the website www.panora.org/PETS.