Pam Wockenfuss and a co-worker were mowing grass on the grounds of the Audubon wildlife sanctuary east of Warren, Minn., when a golden retriever ambled out of the woods.
"He came up, and he was licking us and carrying on," Wockenfuss said. "He was all friendly and everything."
Despite his good mood, she said, it was clear the pup needed help.
"We could see that his back foot was injured and he had no tags on him," Wockenfuss said. "We just figured the best place for him would be the Humane Society."
Volunteers from the animal shelter in Crookston retrieved the dog and took him to a veterinarian. An X-ray revealed bullet fragments in the dog's leg, said Tracey Janisch, who manages the shelter.
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"It's just completely sad," Janisch said. "I couldn't believe somebody would actually shoot a dog."
It's not certain whether the dog was shot accidentally or on purpose, but Janisch suspects a landowner shot him thinking he was a nuisance. She said the shelter hasn't taken in any other animals that were shot since she started working at the facility in June 2008.
The shelter hopes to reunite the dog, which had no collar or ID tag when he was found Wednesday morning, with his owner. Janisch said the pup appears to be 1½ to 2 years old and has a ginger-tinted coat, which led shelter staff to name him Red.
Janisch said the gunshot tore tendons and fractured two bones in Red's back leg. She said the best option was to leave the fragments in the leg and hope it regains function. "If none of that is showing any improvement next week, they have to consider amputation," she said, adding that the shelter does not euthanize animals.
If Red's owner doesn't claim him, Janisch said, the shelter would put him up for adoption after he's neutered and after his leg heals. In the meantime, she said, anyone can visit him.
So far, Janisch said, Red has gotten along with all people he's met, including her 3-year-old and 11-month-old, and other dogs.
"You can tell he has a home by his manner," she said. "You can tell that somebody owned that dog."
To claim Red, call the Crookston animal shelter at (218) 281-7225.
