On the afternoon of January 14, a labrador mix was found severely injured from a gunshot wound on Robin Street in south Ames, near U.S. Highway 30.
The dog, who has since been nicknamed “Good Boy,” was taken to a local vet to treat his injuries before being transferred to Iowa State University Veterinary School.
According to Ron Edwards, Ames animal control supervisor, animal control received a report of a dog that did not look good by a trailer with blood on his face.
“Animal control officers went out there and obviously knew that it needed immediate emergency care and took it to a vet hospital,” Edwards told the Daily. “They started pain medication and did some X-rays there and then determined that the injuries that we’re seeing [were] more than likely bullet fragments from where the dog was shot in the head.”
Edwards said the hospital recommended they transfer the dog to Iowa State due to his extensive injuries, where he could have around-the-clock care.
According to an email from Kati Frahm, communication specialist for the City of Ames, Good Boy’s injuries required approximately $7,000 in treatments. The Ames Animal Shelter is accepting donations to cover this care. Those interested in supporting the shelter can make donations here.
“They worked with their teams over there and had surgery, I believe, two days after it continued on pain meds to kind of figure out the neurological condition,” Edwards said. “They did surgery to remove what was left of the eye and seal that up where the left eye used to be. They did remove some of the bullet fragments, but not all of them, the ones that they left in there, they determined was actually more detrimental to go in and try and get them than it was just to leave them there since it wasn’t causing any problems.”
Edwards said Good Boy is now at the shelter back with the staff.
“We’re going to send him to a foster home while he continues to recover, wait for those stitches to be removed and go from there on finding him a permanent home,” Edwards said.
Furthermore, Edwards said the lab is doing really well now.
“If you saw him, you would not even think that he had any kind of injury,” Edwards said. “Very unfortunate situation like that where a human harmed him… He just loves everybody that he meets, jumps up, wants to lick everybody.”
The Ames Police have not found who inflicted his injuries at this time, and they are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information about the dog’s injuries or owner is asked to call Ames Police at 515-239-5530, the anonymous tip line at 515-239-5533 or Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400.
