SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A dog is on the road to recovery and receiving help from volunteers after someone shot him in the face in Homestead, leaving area residents in shock about the cruel and violent act.
The canine is receiving the care he desperately needs at an animal hospital.
Speaking with 7News on Thursday Fahiym Elison and Gloria Rosario said they want to know who the person responsible is, while the four-legged patient finds a home.
“It hurts real bad to see a dog get shot and be hopeless,” said Elison.
Heartbreaking pictures show the animal struggling to recover after he was shot and left for dead.
Rosario said she and Elison got to know the neighborhood stray, nicknamed Chico, off Southwest 128th Avenue.
“He was never violent; he never attacked nobody,” said Rosario. “All he was looking for was comfort and somebody to feed him.”
Last week, Elison said, he heard a gunshot.
“I went outside, and the dog was there, he was shot, he was running around. We just heard people screaming that somebody shot the dog,'” he said.
The dog had been shot under the eye.
X-rays show the bullet traveled down into the animal’s chest.
After days of running from people in pain, the dog was picked up and taken to an animal hospital, where he got a new nickname: Brut
While Brut is being cared for at the animal clinic, Cindy Mucciaccio with iHeart Animal Rescue is stepping up to help.
“We just have to do a CAT scan to see where exactly it is and if anything was damaged on the way down, the heat of the bullet,” she said.
But Mucciaccio said those bills are adding up.
“He’s in stable condition now. They had to put him on oxygen yesterday because he did have pneumonia,” she said.
Meanwhile, Elison and Rosario said they want the gunman caught.
Elison did not mince words as he addressed the subject directly.
“You’re a coward, and you should turn yourself in, and you should pay for what you did,” he said.
“He’s an animal, he’s a coward, he’s an animal, he’s not a human,” said Rosario. “You don’t do that to – if you could shoot a dog, you could shoot a kid. That’s how I feel.”
The neighbors said they would also like to see the stray healed and head to a good, loving home.
“If you guys can donate anything you can, please donate,” said Elison.
For more information on how to help Brut via iHeart Animal Rescue, click here.
If you have any information on who may have shot Brut, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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