A NEWS10 EXCLUSIVE
By JOHN McLOUGHLIN
LATHAM, N.Y. -- A Rensselaer County homeowner and his teenaged son are asking hunters to be more careful after their pet dog was wounded Thanksgiving morning, perhaps by a hunter.
Jim Bacon and his 13-year-old son, Taylor, rushed the 18-month-old mastiff to the Animal Emergency Clinic in Latham, suffering from a gunshot wounded to the dog's shoulder.
Bacon says the animal, whose name is Bravo, was in the woods directly behind their home in Grafton, with Bravo's sister, named Panther.
When they emerged, Bravo was shot, the bullet passing through his shoulder, leaving many fragments. The dog, bleeding profusely, was taken to the Latham Clinic where Dr. Jenny Gavin patched him up.
The veterinarian is optimistic for his recovery, but she is still worried about blood loss and the dog remained in the hospital on Thursday night.
Jim Bacon says he does not want to even consider the possibility that someone deliberately shot his pet and he urges hunters to be much more careful in selecting their targets. Bacon reported the shooting to state police, but by Thanksgiving night, there was no word on any progress in catching up with the shooter.
Taylor Bacon says, "He's one of the family and it's hard to lose one of the family."
UPDATE: Jim Bacon told NEWS10 on Friday that vet released Bravo that afternoon and that he is going to be OK.
Bacon said the vet bill is very high, more than $2,000, but he is grateful Bravo will recover.
Bravo is treated inside the Animal Emergency Clinic in Latham
Taylor and Jim Bacon speak to NEWS10's John McLoughlin
NEWS10 ABC
