‘A miracle’: Dog shot multiple times and left to die on road to recovery in Winnipeg

A dog shot multiple times in Nunavut earlier this month is now recovering in Winnipeg.

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A dog shot multiple times with a shotgun earlier this month and left to die is now on a long road to recovery in Manitoba, in what rescuers are describing as a miracle.

Chelsea Kork, a director with K9 Advocacy Manitoba, said the dog was discovered by a representative in Nunavut among a pile of trash. The registered charity works with rural First Nations and Indigenous communities to help manage the overpopulation of stray dogs and cats.

“He had been shot multiple times and left in a garbage dump to die,” Kork said, adding that the dog was frozen to the ground and had to be dug out of the snow. “He was pretty close to dead.”

The eight-year-old dog named Bailey is believed to have been shot three times with a shotgun. He was flown to Manitoba on the first available flight.

“When he arrived at the vet … he could barely move, couldn’t lift his head. He was probably in a ridiculous amount of pain,” Kork said.

She said the dog was given IV fluids as well as a fentanyl patch for pain relief and underwent ongoing blood work. Examinations later determined he had 32 wounds from shotgun pellets.

“For the past week, every day, just a little bit of progress, from eating, drinking, lifting his head, trying to stand up on his own … He’s just been surprising to us all every single day,” she said.

“It’s been an amazing transformation.”

So far, Bailey has had eight shotgun pellets removed from his body, with about 14 more still requiring extraction.

“Now we’re kind of just letting his skin heal as best as possible. The swelling has come down a lot.”

Kork said she transported the dog Thursday night from a veterinary hospital to her Winnipeg home, where he will continue recovering while making frequent visits to the vet.

She said the dog, believed to be a husky-terrier mix, can now move around independently, though amputation of one of his legs may be necessary down the road.

“Unfortunately, the nerve damage from the shotgun is kind of in the shoulder. He doesn’t have any use of that leg, so we had him see the orthopedic surgeon yesterday,” she said.

“We’re going to give him about a month, hoping that maybe some of the nerves can regenerate a little bit; we’ll see if we can get anything out of that shoulder.”

Kork also said the end of Bailey’s tail suffered frostbite but described his survival as “a miracle.”

“He loves everyone who just kind of pets him and pays attention to him, and he’s quiet; he’s so easy.”

She said the dog was shot as part of population control efforts targeting strays in northern communities, which K9 Advocacy Manitoba is working to change by rehoming stray and surrendered animals.

Kork said the nonprofit rescues about 3,000 dogs and cats each year, with veterinary bills reaching roughly half a million dollars last year.

“We’re not government-funded, so it all comes from fundraisers and donations. And lots of people have donated to Bailey’s care, which is amazing,” she added.

More information about the nonprofit is available online.