PATRICK COUNTY, Va. – Sam Dalton woke up Saturday to her worst nightmare. Her two dogs Jack and Diane wandered away from home a few days prior and had not come back like usual.
“They roam, that’s just what they do. The neighbors know them,” Dalton said.
That night, Dalton made a shocking discovery on Facebook.
“I was like, ‘That’s Diane,’” Dalton said. “You know like seeing her walking around limping, I wasn’t okay.”
Diane had been shot in the leg.
Franklin County Humane Society Director Anita Scott says one of her volunteers found Diane in Patrick County.
“He had found this dog that he thought had been hit by a car, asked us what to do,” Scott said.
Once Diane got to the Humane Society, they discovered she was shot with a rifle.
“She has such a wonderful personality like so many of the others have had and there’s really no sense in a human doing this to an innocent animal,” Scott said.
Dalton will be reunited with her dog Monday, but because Diane’s femur is shattered, she’ll need to have her leg amputated.
“I’m so excited to go see her,” Dalton said. “I’m going to let her stay there and let them proceed with the surgery there.”
Scott says the reunion is a rare gift.
“We do not see a lot of the pets reclaimed and it’s really nice to know she’s going to have her family with her as she goes through this surgery and then healing from it,” Scott said.
The Daltons’ other dog Jack is still missing.
“Family and friends have been a very big support that Jack is going to come on home,” Dalton said.
Dalton says she is preparing for the worst, but is still holding out hope to reunite with Jack.
“I can’t pay for my dog back,” Dalton said.
The Dalton’s filed a police report and say they’re determined to get justice for Diane.
If you have any information on what happened to Jack and Diane, contact the Franklin County Humane Society or the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.
As a reminder, it is illegal to shoot a companion animal in Virginia, unless they pose an imminent threat.
