Hayden Howard was shocked when her English Mastiff, Jackson, came inside covered in what appeared to be bug bites. However, a closer inspection revealed a horrifying truth: Jackson had been shot multiple times with a BB gun.

“I was completely shocked, I didn’t know what to think,” Hayden told WXIN. She immediately rushed Jackson to the vet, who found nearly 70 gunshot wounds, with bullets embedded in various parts of his body, including his eyelid, ear, and knee. The vet managed to remove 27 bullets, leaving 20 still lodged in his body.

Police identified a neighbor as the suspect, finding a BB gun, pellets, and drug paraphernalia in his home. “I have never seen an animal shot that many times,” said Assistant Chief Craig Hayes of the Seymour Police Department, describing it as a “very bad case.”

Despite his severe injuries, Jackson is on the road to recovery. Hayden remains hopeful for justice, expressing that the offender should face a lengthy prison sentence and be banned from owning animals.