A Washington County woman is saying prayers of gratitude for bringing her missing dog back home. But his condition was horrific.
Lori Hood says she found her 18 month old Anatolian Shepherd lying against the fence in her backyard. She says he was shot multiple times in the head.
He isn't just a guardian dog, he's a family member.
It didn't kill him, but it killed Hood to see what had happened.
"He was shot here and then on the back of his neck," she said.
Sheriff went missing December 27th. A week later, Hood found him in her backyard.
"I've cried daily just because of his pain," she said. "When I saw all the bird-shot pellets that were still in him, it was just overwhelming."
Hood called the vet immediately. An X-ray picture shows bird-shot in Sheriff's head. Hood says there are more than a hundred pellets and only a few will work their way out.
"He was probably, sort of executed," Hood said.
Hood says she noticed a change in Sheriff's eyes and noticed something was wrong. She then discovered he couldn't see, so she took him to a specialist.
"His left eye is pretty well gone," Hood said. "His right eye is not as bad. So I'm praying for a miracle that he can see out of his right eye some."
Sheriff's mom says his quality of life won't be the same. She says his purpose was to guard livestock on their 165 acre ranch. Now, Hood hopes for a miracle and that Sheriff will find a new purpose in life.
"I worry when he gets out that he won't find his way home," Hood said.
Hood is working with the Washington County Sheriff's Office to find out who shot her dog. There is a $1,000 reward.
