BRYAN, Texas — Meet Maggie, the two-year-old pit bull mix. Back in September, an animal control officer found Maggie in the streets of Bryan, blood flowing down her chest. She had been shot in the lower throat with a .22, and to this day still has bullet fragments inside her.
“I wouldn’t say that it happens ‘a lot, a lot, a lot,’ but we do have situations where animals do come in that are harmed," said Ashley Rodriguez, supervisor with the Bryan Animal Center.
Rodriguez estimates that her shelter sees about one or two animal gunshot victims each year. She noted that for law enforcement, it can be difficult to investigate cases like this, even though there are laws in place against shooting pets. According to Rodriguez, in Maggie’s case, there just wasn’t enough evidence to pursue an investigation.
"Sometimes [injuries] can be intentional, and sometimes people are just scared," she said. "And we always encourage people, if they have issues with stray pets or even wildlife, to call animal control. Because we can definitely go out there, assess the situation, and see what’s going on.”
But Maggie is a miracle. Not only has she recovered physically, but her heart for human companionship is huge.
“She was a little shy at first," said Dyan Cisnero, programs coordinator at the animal center. "It took her a little bit of time to come around to us... She warmed up to us very quickly. She loves to play, she loves her toys, and she loves meeting new people.”
With a shelter near capacity, Rodriguez and her colleagues hope someone will give Maggie the second chance she fought to live for.
The Bryan Animal Center is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit the following link: