A lucky puppy from Mississippi is searching for a forever home after it miraculously survived being shot.
Lona, an 11-month-old Catahoula mix with one brown eye and one blue, was blasted in the back with a .44 magnum handgun and left for dead.
The bullet passed all the way through her chest cavity but incredibly did not kill her after it missed her vital organs and arteries.
Lucky Lona! An 11-month-old Catahoula mix, with one brown eye and one blue, was shot in the back with a .44 magnum handgun and left for dead
Miracle: Lona was found by animal control living under an abandoned house in Mississippi with a firm bump at the front of her right shoulder
Incredible: The puppy was shot with a dime-sized bullet, (pictured) that passed straight through her chest cavity, just missing her vital organs and arteries
Several months after the shooting, Lona was found living beneath the porch of an abandoned house by animal control.
The wounded pooch had squeezed into a gap just six inches tall but when an officer came to rescue her, she popped out and gleefully greeted him.
Lona was then taken to Clarksdale Animal Rescue in Clarksdale (CARES), MS, on November 16, 2017, where staff noticed a large, firm bump at the front of her right shoulder.
Vets discovered she had a bullet the size of a dime lodged in her chest and performed tricky emergency surgery to extract the shell, which was from a .44 magnum handgun.
Paige Daugherty, board member and public relations officer at CARES, said, ‘It’s a true miracle she survived. We couldn’t believe the size of the bullet.
‘The bullet went in through her left shoulder and was protruding through her right shoulder, which means it passed straight through her chest cavity.
Surgery: A bullet the size of a dime was lodged in the puppy’s chest when Clarksdale Animal Rescue in Clarksdale, MS found her on November 16, 2017
Survivor: As a result, she underwent emergency surgery to extract the shell and Paige Daugherty, board member of CARES, said, ‘It’s a true miracle she survived’
‘It’s a wonder that it didn’t hit an artery. If left untreated, the wound could have become more infected and caused serious damage and discomfort to Lona.
‘It’s so sad but we have no way to figure out the shooter.’
The center is now appealing for potential adopters to provide a loving home for the adorable dog, who was named Lona by rescuers, which means ‘beauty’ in Spanish.
It is thought that her different colored eyes might be due to a relatively common genetic default called heterochromia iridis.
Paige added, ‘She is recovering now with antibiotics, lots of fluids, and a warm bed. We all love her and are hoping to find her a loving home once she fully recovers.
‘It’s a miracle that the bullet did not kill her or cause her to fear humans, but it didn’t.
‘She is healthy, friendly, and happy all of the time.’
To donate to CARES or find out more about adopting Lona, visit the organization’s website