Dog recovering from gunshot wounds in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — An animal rescue group in Lexington has taken in a dog that was shot a few times in his backside.

Paws 4 the Cause isn’t sure how Hercules was shot but the non-profit organization says it’s doing everything it can to get him the help he needs.

“He was shot a couple of times in the rear section and he was giving up hope and he was not able to move his hind quarters anymore,” says Remy Simpson, president of the rescue group.

Paws 4 the Cause says it’s an animal rescue group that often takes in animals from rural shelters to give them the medical treatment these shelters usually can’t afford.

The only way it’s able to do this though, is with donations.

The group was contacted by an eastern Kentucky shelter after the dog had been found as a stray.

He couldn’t move his backside after being shot a few times back there.

“He sustained some injury to the backside, a couple of the vertebrae have actually been severed. But he’s doing much better and we’re hoping that he’ll keep on getting better and continue that fighting spirit,” says Simpson.

He says Hercules has no feeling in his tail and vets are working very hard for him to be able to keep it.

“That could create issues for him down the road if he loses the tail so we’re hoping to hang on to the tail if we can,” says Simpson.

He says it’s not clear how the dog was shot – he just knew when he got the call the shelter, and Hercules, needed help, he had to step in.

“Anytime I see an animal get hurt it hurts me,” says Simpson.

He says when shelters become full the ones hurt are the first ones euthanized.

“Their voice is lost and their pain is unheard and we just love them so much we just want to help them as much as we can,” says Simpson.

He says they need donations to get Hercules the medical treatment he needs.

Click here to donate.