KILAUEA — A family dog that was shot by a neighbor on Friday afternoon is expected to make a full recovery. The veterinarian who performed the surgery to remove a .22 caliber bullet from Lola, a 10 year-old golden retriever,
KILAUEA — A family dog that was shot by a neighbor on Friday afternoon is expected to make a full recovery.
The veterinarian who performed the surgery to remove a .22 caliber bullet from Lola, a 10 year-old golden retriever, said the bullet traveled eight inches from the shoulder blade to the elbow without damaging vital organs.
“For being unlucky and getting shot, this dog was incredibly lucky in the way it was shot,” said Scott Sims, of Pegasus Veterinary Clinic in Kilauea. “The bullet missed everything important which was really remarkable.”
If the bullet had traveled just half an inch to either side, then the dog could have suffered permanent lameness or died, said Sims. Because it missed the shoulder joint and vital organs, there was little blood loss and required only a small incision to remove the bullet just under the skin.
The dog’s owner, however, was very distraught about the injury, Sims said. He was relieved to her to the owner that her dog should not have any lasting effects from the injury.
“It was an incredibly minor wound for what happened, and required only four or five stitches for both wounds,” he said. “The dog has probably hurt itself more than that jut running through the bushes.”
The bullet was left in pristine condition from not hitting any bones or vital organs, Sims said. It was taken by Kauai Police Department detectives to determine if it would match the .22 caliber rifle and a spent shell casing taken from Michael Ray Furgeson’s residence on Friday.
Officers arrested Furgeson, 66, of Kilauea, at around 10 p.m., after a six-hour investigation, for cruelty to animals and first-degree reckless endangerment.
According to a county spokesperson, the police responded to a complaint of an animal shooting on Kuke Street on Friday around 4 p.m. The officers located the retriever with a wound on her left shoulder.
The 911 call came from Celeste Harvel, a neighbor of Furgeson in the same cul-de-sac. She said that Lola was chasing her truck, which is usual when her own two large dogs are with her.
Harvel said she was making her second trip back to unload her car when Lola came around the corner to play. The dog was on a county easement near a stop sign and rock wall when she was shot.
Furgeson made the shot from his property and then retreated inside, Harvel said.
After calling the police, Harvel notified the dog’s owner and neighbor, Catherine Curtis. The dog was yelping and it was rushed to the veterinarian.
Harvel said this was not the first time that the neighbors have had trouble with their pets being shot at, but prior incidents were with pellet guns. The ordeal with a rifle was shocking, she said.
“I am feeling better today but I was very upset,” Harvel said. “That was brutal.”
Lola’s owner was off-island Tuesday but the family’s nanny said that dog seems to be doing just fine.
Furgeson was released from custody after posting $6,000 bail. Formal charges have not yet been filed. Calls to Furgeson’s voicemail were not returned Tuesday.
