It wasn't until a construction worker in the North Branch area saw the dog Monday, March 30, with the blue-and-yellow arrow in her head that Lapeer County Animal Control was called. The arrow was removed and an investigation launched.
"He found a stray dog and she had an arrow in her head," said Aimee Orn, director of Lapeer County Animal Control. "They called us directly about 12:30 p.m."
An animal control officer rushed to the scene, Orn said, and brought the dog back to the animal control office in Lapeer for an assessment.
The arrow was embedded in the top of Gemma's head, through her skull, with the tip coming out of the roof of her mouth. Orn said the dog was taken to a local veterinarian to remove the arrow.
"Once they realized the arrow wasn't hitting her brain, wasn't hitting her optic nerve, they were able to pull it right out under heavy sedation," she said. "It's extremely fortunate. I can't even say how lucky she is. It's nothing short of a miracle it didn't hit her optic nerve or her brain."
The dog's owner, a Goodland Township resident, admitted to shooting her, said Orn, after questioning by a detective from the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office.
Orn said the owner had driven the dog to a secluded area, where he shot the dog with a crossbow. When he was getting something to wrap the dog in to bury her, he says the dog ran away.
"He claims it was because she was being aggressive with his other dogs," said Orn.
A search of the man's property did not reveal another dog, said Orn.
"Our first step is obviously we take all our findings to the prosecutor for charges." She added the dog remains at animal control and, "Our goal is, obviously, for him to not get the dog back at all."
The owner has been given the option to give up the dog so that animal control can begin the search for another owner.
In her 14-plus years of working with animals, including her time as a Macomb County animal control officer and with the Humane Society of Macomb County, Orn said, "I've seen some bad cases, but nothing this off-the-wall."
Orn said anyone who doesn't want their dog has many options with several animal rescue groups in the area. "There are just too many options if you don't want your dog anymore. Call someone. There's always somebody to call."
Gemma is on her way to recovery, with a dose of antibiotics and healing at the animal control facility on West Genesee Road.
"It's amazing," said Orn.
For information on assistance available for animals, contact Lapeer County Animal Control at 810-667-0236 or visit their website here.
(MLive - April 4, 2015)
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