A Durango woman whose dog was shot twice is desperate to get enough money to pay for the animal’s medical bills.
Gloriah Williams, a 25-year-old who works at Rite Aid, became afraid for her 2-year-old dog Cali when she came into the house bleeding about 10 p.m. Sunday along County Road 133 in the Marvel area.
“Cali was bleeding everywhere ... It was a bloodbath,” Williams said Wednesday. “We were freaking out, calling a bunch of different places, but the doctor on the phone said to see if it heals, because it might be a nose bleed.”
The next day, Williams took Cali to Durango Animal Hospital, where the veterinarian told her Cali had been shot twice.
“One bullet broke her femur and one went through her forehead, down and out the front of her mouth in front of her teeth. Her sinuses are all blown out, and she’s breathing through a hole in the top of her head,” Williams said.
“The vet said this was the most extreme thing she’s seen in 25 years.”
Williams and her boyfriend suspect a neighbor shot Cali when Williams let her out after she arrived home from work. The couple admits that Cali can find trouble, but she isn’t aggressive toward humans.
A neighbor called Animal Control a couple of weeks ago to report Cali was chasing a bicyclist, Williams said. And a neighbor warned the couple not to let Cali bark at churchgoers on Sundays, she said. Cali also likes to chase rabbits, Williams said.
Williams said she hadn’t called Animal Control as of Wednesday afternoon, but she planned to report the incident.
She would have done so sooner, but “I didn’t know what to do.” If a neighbor claims the dog was on his property or chasing livestock or acting aggressively, there’s not much that can be done, she said.
The initial visit to Durango Animal Hospital cost $220, and the surgeries that Cali needs will cost $2,200, Williams said.
Anyone who wants to help can call Williams at (303) 898-0455 or email gmurc@hotmail.com or gloriahw1@gmail.com.
cmcallister@durangoherald.com. City Editor Shane Benjamin contributed to this report.