Samson, believed to be 3-4-years-old, was found injured by a local farmer who was checking his field.
"He just happened to see the dog down in the waterway of our field," said the farmer's wife, Katy. "We have no idea how long he was there. He came and told me and we went to check on him."
She said it was obvious that the dog couldn't use his back legs and had been dragging himself to the water to drink.
"His injured eye was also very apparent, but he was covered in mud from dragging himself around and we had no idea he had been shot until the girls got him to the vet," she said.
She called K9 Karma Animal Advocates out of Wichita, who then called Beauties and Beasts Rescue for additional help.
"I immediately grabbed my leash, grabbed my treats and went down," said Jessica Sherwood, of K9 Karma.
She said Samson growled at her, but never attempted to bite her. Since he couldn't walk they had to put a sling under him and help him get up the side of the ditch to the vehicle. They immediately took Samson to a Newton vet.
"At first they thought he was hit by a car," said Sherwood. "They decided to take x-rays. He's been shot at least three times that we know of."
She points to one wound on his face.
"Here it came in, probably bounced around his head and came out of his cheek," she continued.
Then pointing to another wound on his side she showed where another bullet went in and came out, then a third one in his back.
"This one went into his spine and hit it directly," she said. "That's the one we can see in a full form that will be taken out for evidence."
She said there are several other spots where bullets grazed Samson, but after he was shot in the back he went down.
"He fought for quite a while," said Sherwood. "He's been like this for several days. This didn't just happen yesterday or the day before. It's been several days."
She said the bullet that is lodged in his spine is the one most worrisome.
"If moved wrong he could be completely paralyzed."
So Sherwood said they have been careful when they move him and won't let him move much on his own until an MRI can be done.
"He's just a sweet boy, with all he's been through, with everything that has been done to him and he still will kiss me," she said.
She said despite being shot in the face, he doesn't seem to have any brain damage. He is alert and reacts to what happens around him.
"He will live," said Sherwood. "That's not our problem. Our problem is he may never walk again."
Sherwood said she is hopeful that will happen, but they've got a long road of healing ahead of them.
While the circumstances leading up to Samson's injuries are unknown, Sherwood said corn kernels found in his feces seem to paint a certain picture.
"It makes me think he was dumped before he was shot," she said. "He was living off the corn, someone saw him obviously and lit him up. It's sad that you wouldn't go down and make sure he was dead. That you would let him lay there and suffer."
She said no matter what happens next, as long as there is hope for Samson, she will keep fighting to give him a better life.
"If he's going to fight so are we, I mean we are still alive," she said. "If he's going to do it so are we. No matter what it's going to cost us. What it's going to take us. We'll do it. He deserves it. He deserves to be loved."
Samson has gotten a lot of love from the community who has donated many dog care items to his healing process, but what he needs the most is monetary donations to help with vet expenses, the MRI and several surgeries that will be needed to help him heal and hopefully walk.
Sherwood started a donation account for those who would like to help that way: http://www.youcaring.com/k9-karma-406901
You can send checks to this address:
K9 Karma- Samson, 809 Harding St, Wichita Ks 67208
Sherwood said even more important than financial help, is spreading awareness of these types of situations. She said they happen more than you might think, but many times the dogs are never found.
(KWCH - Aug 6, 2015)
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