A witness discovered the injured dog swimming across the canal after hearing gunfire, and said the shooter “was standing on the other side of the canal and indicated that he shot the dog because it allegedly bit his son,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement last month.
Soon the shooter walked off and left the scene, deputies said.
Meanwhile, the dog swam until it reached the edge of the canal, got out and limped into a forested area, deputies said.
By the time deputies arrived in Lehigh Acres on reports of gunfire, the injured dog was still hiding in the woods, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies soothed the scared dog and encouraged it to come out into the open.
Eventually they succeeded: The pit bull limped into an open area, where deputies could pick up the injured dog with a towel and carry it to a Lee County Domestic Animal Services vehicle.
Neighbors brought out the towel and a muzzle to help care for the wounded animal, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies saidthe 3-year-old female dog was shot twice and is recovering at Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue.
The dog’s name is Seven, according to rescuers.
A Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue Facebook post from earlier this month said the dog is suffering from “severe” heartworm.