It’s heartbreaking to know that some people should never be allowed near animals.
A few years ago, Hayden Howard noticed something was wrong with her beloved English Mastiff, Jackson. He had been playing in the backyard while she was inside, but when he came back in, he looked like he was covered in insect bites.
However, a closer look revealed something far more disturbing.
“I was completely shocked. I didn’t know what to think,” Hayden said.
Jackson hadn’t been bitten—he’d been shot. She rushed him to the vet, where X-rays revealed dozens of tiny BB pellets lodged all over his body. The vet found one under his eyelid, one in his ear, and another in his knee—there were pellets everywhere.
To remove the plastic projectiles, the vet had to shave most of Jackson’s fur. In total, 27 pellets were removed, but 20 had to be left in place because they were too deeply embedded. On top of that, Jackson had more than 20 visible bullet wounds.
He had been shot over 70 times.
“I’ve never seen an animal shot that many times. It’s one of the worst cases I’ve ever encountered,” said Assistant Chief Craig Hayes of the Seymour Police Department.
It’s unthinkable how someone could inflict such cruelty—especially on a dog as gentle and innocent as Jackson.
Police quickly began investigating and traced the shots to a nearby home. Inside, they discovered a BB gun, ammunition, and shockingly, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to the Daily Mail.
Thankfully, authorities acted swiftly, and the suspect was apprehended.
I can only hope that justice is fully served—that whoever did this receives a harsh sentence and is never again allowed near an animal.
Despite the unimaginable trauma, Jackson is making a strong recovery, Hayden reports.
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