A family is devastated after their beloved dog Luna was shot in the head after escaping their yard on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Luna got out of the family’s yard in the city’s Marquette Park neighborhood when someone accidentally left the gate open on Thursday, according to the Chicagoland Rescue Intervention and Support Program.
She was running through a nearby alley, the organization said, when she encountered a group of kids and one of them shot her in the face.
Officers on patrol in the area heard the shot fired around 4:15 p.m. and immediately responded, according to Chicago police.
Upon arrival, they found Luna with a gunshot wound and took her to Animal Care and Control. [[420286524, C]]
Nearby in the 2800 block of W. Marquette Rd., officers detained a 15-year-old boy who was seen running from the area of the shooting, authorities said.
The boy had a gun, according to police, who said he told the officers that he shot the dog because he was afraid it was going to hurt him.
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He was arrested and charged as a juvenile with five felonies – aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without a Firearm Owners Identification Card, theft, criminal damage of a domestic animal, aggravated cruelty to animals and reckless discharge of a firearm.
He is expected to appear in court this week.
Luna survived the shooting and her owners picked her up from animal control immediately on Thursday, taking her to an emergency veterinarian. [[420286394 , C]]
She was stabilized and sent home with a referral to a neurologist, as the bullet remained lodged in her head and required specialized treatment.
Luna stopped eating on Friday and began to experience severe pain, CRISP said, at which point she was once again taken to an animal hospital for emergency care.
She had a CT scan on Saturday to evaluate whether or not she would be able to undergo surgery to have the bullet removed, the organization said.
“Luna's whole family loves her so much and they are devastated by her injury,” CRISP wrote in a Facebook post. Her family has young children “who miss their dog,” the organization said, and “can use all the support we can offer as a community.” [[420286814, C]]
As of Monday, Luna remained at a veterinary specialty center as her family continues to hope she will be able to have the surgery she needs to recover.
In the meantime, CRISP set up a YouCaring page for donations to help cover the costs of Luna’s medical treatment, exceeding their goal of $3,000 dollars in less than three days.
“Please consider making a donation to help this girl, who has managed to stay sweet and loving through this whole ordeal,” the organization wrote.
