Hundreds of pellets lodged inside Vance County dog shot at close range

Chief Frankie Nobles got the call about the year-old dog on Saturday. The X-rays show hundreds of pellets inside the rottweiler mix’s body.

“We did end up picking him up over the weekend. The dog had been shot. It looks like he’d been shot with a bird shot,” Nobles said.

A bird gun releases hundreds of pellets at a time. Nobles said he believes the dog was shot at close range.

“He was really slow moving. He’s doing a whole lot better now,” he said.

The dog, who they named Mark, is recovering at Vance County Animal Services, but hundreds of pellets will stay inside the dog.

“Most of the pellets he had in him were in his face and head,” Nobles said. “He may lose sight in his left eye. He’s got a couple of pellets in there, but he’s doing really well.”

The dog’s story has drawn attention and Mark already has a rescue organization lined up to find him his new home.

“As long as everything goes with the investigation and with the sheriff’s office, he will be out of here Friday night,” Nobles said.

Working in animal services, Noble often sees animals arrive in rough shape, but he said Marks’ case is not like anything else he has seen recently.

“We just still can’t imagine why people would do something like this. I mean, it’s very simple to call 911,” Noble said. “We’ll come out. If the dog’s bothering you, call us, we’ll come get it.”

So far, no charges have been filed in the case, but Nobles said animal services and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office are still investigating.