A dog has been left traumatised after he was shot more than 60 times with a pellet gun.
The lurcher was discovered by a dog warden on August 19 in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and taken to the local SPCA rescue centre.
The pup, who the charity has named Ashton, was initially terrified of anyone approaching him, and was especially protective of his head and neck area, staff said.
Vets had to sedate him to conduct a check-up, which is when they discovered he had been repeatedly shot.
Claire Aiton, rescue centre assistant manager, said: “The dog warden had quite an ordeal trying to catch Ashton as he was so nervous.
“When he first arrived he was terrified and showing visible signs of distress. We were astonished to find pellet wounds all over his body and tail when he was x-rayed.
“Once the pellets had been removed and Ashton had recovered from the operation, his temperament changed quickly.
“He was no longer aggressive and we suspect he was reacting negatively due to the pain he was in."
Ms Aiton continued: “Our team has dedicated time to coaxing Ashton out of his shell and although he is still nervous, he has come on leaps and bounds.
“He lets us put a lead on him and he enjoys going out for walks. He’s even letting us cuddle and clap him.
“We would like to find out what happened to Ashton. It might be that he wandered too close to farm animals and a farmer has shot him.
“It is lawful for farmers to be able to do this to protect their animals.”
She said Ashton is not currently available for rehoming as he requires some rehabilitation first.
Anyone with information on how Ashton came to be injured is asked to contact the Scottish SPCA’s confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
